One Last Kiss (A Pitch Perfect Story)
by Lilypad214
Summary: FORMERLY KNOWN AS WAITING FOR YOU. So, you know the Pitch Perfect movie. But what would happen if Jesse got terminal cancer? Can Jesse and Beca, who've been together for five years, fight through this together? Or will life and fate tear them apart? DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PITCH PERFECT, ANY OF ITS CONTENT, OR CHARACTERS. Creds to @jeca castin love on Instagram for the cover!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Good morning, good morning, good morning, ah. Nothing to do to save his life. Call his wife in; nothing to say."

Beca Mitchell awakes to a beautiful voice singing the Beatles song, "Good Morning, Good Morning." She assumes it's her radio alarm clock, but when she flicks the snooze button, the song keeps going. She whacks the button a few more times, but to no avail. She feels a hand on her waist and she opens both eyes. Her vision's still bleary and all she sees is a male figure. She shrieks and now, she's clearly wide awake. She hears a familiar chuckle and relaxes. It's Jesse Swanson, Beca's boyfriend of almost five years, with whom she lives with in their apartment.

"Oh my god. You scared the crap out of me." Beca admits, flicking his ear.

"Wait, so Beca Mitchell is scared of something?' Dang. I bet the moon will be blue tonight." Jesse grins at her mischievously, wrapping his arms around Beca's waist and dragging her across the bed to him.

Beca flicks him again, causing Jesse to chuckle and flick her back. She laughs and asks him where he's been, seeing his athletic-looking outfit, complete with a towel over his neck.

"I was at the gym for about an hour."

Beca glances at the clock. _8:06,_ it read. "Jesus Jesse, you were up at 7:00?" Beca asks, surprised.

"Actually, 6:30, but not everyone is a sleepyhead like you, Bec." Jesse says, kissing Beca's forehead. "So, I believe _you_ have work to get to, don't you?" he says, standing up and stretching his arms over his head. Beca worked at a small Italian restaurant not too far from the apartment.

Beca groans but nonetheless rolls out of bed and walks toward her closet. "I'm only doing this 'cause you're telling me to do it, but otherwise you're just as bad as my dad used to be about my classes." she teases. She opens her closet and looks at Jesse pointedly.

Jesse sees this as his cue and stands up walking towards the door. "At this point, you should let me stay," he says with a laugh. Beca points toward the door and he adds, "But, I'll be by the door to walk you to work."

After Jesse leaves, Beca contemplates her wardrobe for something to wear. She decides on a green scoop-neck sweater and a comfy pair of hip-rider jeans. After putting on the outfit, she walks into the bathroom to brush her teeth, put on makeup, and get ready.

Meanwhile, Jesse's standing in the tiny living room, looking around the already-familiar atmosphere. He sees a small picture frame that wasn't there before and walks over to see it. _Beca must've put it there_, he thinks. He picks it up and sees that it's the picture Fat Amy took of them at the end of freshmen year. Beca was on his back tackling him after he threw water on her on the last day of classes.

_Freshmen year, _Jesse remembers fondly. It was definitely a difficult year, but it was the year that Beca finally jumped into Jesse's open arms.

Jesse was just setting the photo down as Beca walked in.

"Hey Million Dollar Baby, are you ready to get to wonderful work? Jesse asks with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Get moving, nerd." Beca says with a smile, pushing Jesse towards the door.

Jesse turns around and kisses Beca passionately, which she returns willingly. They kiss for a few minutes before Jesse breaks it telling Beca that she's going to be late if they go at it any longer. Beca picks up her bag, making an exaggerated pouty face.

"Aw, is someone sad?" Jesse asks in a baby voice, laughing. Beca pushes him with a laugh and he goes stumbling out the door into the hallway.

"Hey, what did I do to deserve that?" Jesse laughs, wrapping his arms around Beca, trapping her in place.

Beca sticks her tongue out at him, laughing and struggling in his arms. Jesse picks her up and spins her around, causing her to shriek in delight. Jesse checks his watch hastily.

"Uh-oh, you're actually going to be late if we don't get running!" Jesse says, setting Beca down gently and starting towards the elevator.

"And the dorky Jesse I know and love is back." Beca says, following him to the elevator.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Jesse, having dropped off Beca at the restaurant, is walking into his workplace, a movie rental shop called Back to the Future, when he suddenly doubles over in an uncontrollable coughing fit. Many concerned people walk by and ask if he's alright. He nods and waves them off politely, insisting that it's fine. One of his coworkers and best friends, Chance Hawthorne, came rushing over to see what was wrong.

"Hey, dude, what's wrong?" Chance asked, thumping Jesse's back with his fist, gently enough to not hurt him.

Jesse coughed a bit more and slowly began to slow down. After he was able to breathe properly, Chance handed him a bottle of water that Jesse gratefully accepted and gulped down.

"Hey, thanks, man. I don't know what went on right then, but I'm fine now." Jesse said, although he felt a sharp pain in his chest that wouldn't go away, he reassured Chance again that he was fine and pulled out his phone.

He texted Beca a short text saying, "i cant wai again. i miss u already. just thinking about u takes my breath away. love u so much. xo" He texted her on most weekday mornings when they were both working. It just became one of the sweet routines of their relationship.

After Jesse put his phone away, he and Chance walked into the store together, Chance seemingly having already forgotten about the earlier episode, chatting carelessly about their life and relationships.

Beca, meanwhile, is taking a small break from her waitressing during one of the less busy times at the restaurant and she's very much looking forward to checking her phone.

She grabs her phone, flipping it on quickly and smiling at the icon that tells her she has one new message. She reads it slowly and then reads it again and again, taking in those words like Jesse was right there beside her.

"i love u 2. xoxo" Beca replies. She wasn't the type of person to text anything to long, unlike Jesse, who loved that kind of thing. It was one of the dorky things that Beca loved about him.

"Mitchell! There are customers!" Beca hears from her boss. She quickly sets down her phone and runs out into the restaurant.

Jesse's working behind the counter, helping out a customer when the sharp pain in his chest came back, worse this time. He doubled over, holding his chest in pain and he gestures to one of his coworkers to take his spot behind the counter, who rushed over quickly. As he walked toward the break room, still hunched over in pain, he hears the customer call out in concern. He waves and holds up a thumbs up, motioning that he was fine.

As he stumbles into the break room and sits down on a chair, Chance rushes in after him.

"Hey, man, chest pains?"

Jesse nods helplessly. Chance passes him the bottle of water from before and Jesse finishes it in a few gulps. He sits up, the apex of the pain having passed.

"Wow, dude, maybe you should go see a doctor. You might've hurt yourself sometime. Do you go to the gym?" Chance asks with sincere concern.

"Yeah, actually, I do." Jesse replies, his brow furrowing.

He gets quite worried but he finds his mind wandering back to Beca. Chance reminds him to get to a doctor soon and goes back to his shift.

Jesse's manager walks in a few minutes later and tells Jesse sympathetically to take the rest of the day off. Jesse thanks him politely and reassures him that he'll be back on his regular shifts tomorrow.

He walks out of the store, worried as ever. He wonders if he should go to the clinic and make an appointment, or perhaps visit Beca. He decides on the latter, partially because he figures it was probably just an injury and it could wait and particularly because he just really wanted to see Beca.

He drives over to the restaurant and checks his watch. _It should be about time that Bec gets let off her shift,_ he's thinking, just as Beca walks out of the restaurant.

Jesse grins and climbs out of his car quietly. He sneaks up behind Beca as she's opening her car door and engulfs her in a hug from behind. Beca screams and whirls around before laughing in relief, but then her face changes into one of pretend anger.

"That's the second time today. I'm gonna get you, Swanson!" Beca says, tackling Jesse and pulling him onto the hood of her car before sitting on top of him and kissing him. They stop and smile at each other for the fact that they're in a parking lot, but they both shrug and keep going.

After a while, Beca pulls back and contemplates Jesse. "So, what're you doing here?" she asks, lying back onto Jesse's chest.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Oh…" Jesse hesitated as he put his arms around Beca's waist, pulling her in closer, wondering if he should worry her by telling what happened. "Well, I was at work and I had this weird coughing fit…" he paused, looking for Beca's reaction. Beca turned her head around to look up at him.

"Go on. I'm listening," she said.

"Well, that's about it. My manager told me to take the day off so I came to see you." Jesse smiled, taking Beca's hand in his.

Beca's forehead wrinkled as she said, "Maybe you should go see a doctor. It may very well be something bad."

Jesse smiles. _Of course she's looking on the bright side of things._ he thinks, squeezing her hand.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Beca asks.

"Wait, right now?"

"Yeah, you weirdo!" Beca teases, poking Jesse's arm and getting up off his lap.

"Well, Jesus, you don't have to be mean about it!" Jesse laughs, getting up also. "So how about we both go in my car and then I'll drop you off back here at five for your Monday evening shift?"

Beca agreed and the two of them set off in Jesse's car to a nearby clinic. Jesse climbs out first, walking over to the other side of the car, opening Beca's door, and offering his hand.

"You're so cliché!" Beca laughs, "Those movies are seriously getting to your brain. I can open my own door!"

"But," Jesse counters, "It's more chivalrous for me to open the door for you."

"Whatever you say, dork," Beca says, taking Jesse's hand.

As they walk into the clinic, Jesse wrinkled his nose against the strong antiseptic smell. "I never did like clinics and hospitals," he mutters to Beca.

"Well, can I help you?" the lady at the counter said irritably, peering over the top of her glasses. Her name tag read, _Gertrude_.

"Oh, I'm here for a walk-in check-up," Jesse said politely, pointedly ignoring Gertrude's attitude. When Gertrude looked away, though, he whispered to Beca, "I know I wouldn't be happy either if my parents named me Gertrude." Beca laughed loudly at that comment, causing them a glare from Gertrude.

Finally, she said, casting them a disapproving look, "Alright, you can go sit over in the waiting room, Dr. Pyter will be with you shortly." She muttered something under her breath along the lines of, "The nerve of young people…" and turned back to her computer screen.

After they were out of Gertrude's earshot, they both cracked up, causing the stares of people in the waiting room. Jesse blushed while Beca just shrugged, pulling him over to a seat.

Before long, a nurse walked in, checked her clipboard , and said, "Mr. Swanson?"

Jesse raised his hand and stood up, looking back at Beca questioningly. Beca shook her head and said she'd wait for him. He kissed her on the cheek before following the nurse through a set of double doors.

Beca sat there, waiting a bit before picking up a fashion magazine that was lying nearby and reading it, but she soon lost interest and nodded off.

When she woke up, she checked the clock. _4:05_, it read. She tapped her foot impatiently, for the fact that she had to be back at work by five pm. Just as she was about to doze back off, she saw Jesse come out of the set of double doors with the nurse behind him.

"Well, good news, Mr. Swanson," the nurse said, "Dr. Pyter said it was nothing serious, probably just a small injury. He said to take some Advil or Tylenol or something of the sorts and it should be fine."

"Okay, thanks." Jesse said.

The nurse nodded and walked back through the set of double doors.

Beca stood up and brushed her pants. "Did they even take an x-ray?" she asked skeptically.

Jesse shook his head, "Oh well, it's probably nothing serious," he said, "Now let's get you back to work."

When Jesse got to Beca's workplace, she was about to get off before turning around and giving him a peck on his lips. He smiled, waving before turning around to go back to their apartment.

When Beca got home a couple of hours later, it was pretty late, maybe about ten pm-ish. She turned the key in the lock, hearing it click before pushing the door open. She flinched. It was totally dark. She didn't think anyone was there. "Jesse?" she shouted warily. "Jesse?!" Then she heard footsteps come towards the doorway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Jesse?!" Beca cries, this time, fear creeping into her voice. The tension and fear drops out of her when she sees Jesse emerge from the darkness.

"Jesse Swanson, I swear to god, you're so dead…" Beca says, glaring at him, but she can't help but smile, since she knows Jesse didn't mean anything by it. "But, do tell me, why is it so dark?"

"Come on, I'll show you," Jesse says, beckoning her with his hand. They're about to walk in when Jesse says tells Beca to cover her eyes first. Beca reluctantly covers her eyes with one hand and reaches out to Jesse with the other. Jesse takes her hand and leads her into their living area. He smiles and says, "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Beca opens her eyes and looks around. There was one single lit candle in the middle of the room, but besides that, it was still dark.

"Is this what you wanted me to see?" Beca asked, turning around and expecting Jesse to be there. But he wasn't. Just then, she hears an angelic voice singing behind her.

"I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad," Jesse came into view behind her, revealing the mystery singer. "I'll even let you hold the remote control, so let me do the dishes in the kitchen sink, put you to bed when you've had too much to drink, Oh I could be the man to grow old with you. I wanna grow old with you." He walked up behind Beca, wrapping his hands around her waist. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind marrying me very much," he whispered into Beca's ear, reaching out his hand and showing her both the ring he had had on and the diamond ring he had in his hand.

Beca grinned. _He took the proposals from _The Wedding Singer_ and _Rocky II_,_ she thought. It was two movies that Jesse convinced her to watch as part of her movie-cation. "Yes, I'll marry you," she whispered back. Jesse swiveled her around and kissed her.

As they were kissing, Beca heard cheering behind her. She whirled around, and saw Aubrey Posen, Chloe Beale, Lilly Onakuramara, Benji Applebaum, Fat Amy, Donald, Stacie Conrad, and Unicycle, cheering on her every move. "Jesse?" she asked, shocked, "Did you do this?"

"All for you, Million Dollar Baby,"

"You're so s—" Beca was cut off by a swarm of the Bellas who smothered her with hugs and congratulations. Even quiet, shy Lilly was hugging her and saying her congrats in a quiet voice. But, on the other hand, Fat Amy was smushing her.

"Get… Off." Beca mumbled, trapped under Fat Amy's grasp.

"Oops." Amy said, letting go of Beca, "I forgot how tiny this one is." Beca smacked Amy's arm, causing Amy to smack her back.

"I still can't believe Jesse did all this for me," Beca said.

"Hey, he loves you," Aubrey said, "More than anything. You can see it in his eyes. Whenever he sees you, they light up like Christmas lights."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Jesse's having his congrats session with the Trebles that showed up. He got multiple thumps on the back and Donald said, "Yo, I never thought Mr. Movie Nerd here would get married before yours truly!"

"Hey, I prefer the term "movie _buff_," Jesse said defensively, making the Trebles laugh.

"Hey Bellas and Trebles!" Chloe shouted, making the room silent, "Oh, not you guys, Jesse and Beca," she added quickly, "Remember?" she said, glancing around the room.

The Bellas and Trebles quickly gathered around the center of the room in seemingly planned out positions.

Benji started singing, "Hey girl, I'm waitin' on ya, I'm waitin' on ya. Come on and let me sneak you out."

Chloe continued, "And have a celebration, a celebration. The music up, the windows down."

Donald kept it going, "Yeah, we'll be doin' what we do; just pretendin' that we're cool and we know it too.

Stacie took it over, "Yeah we'll keep doin' what we do; just pretendin' that we're cool so tonight;"

They were just about to start the chorus when Beca yelled, "Stop!" They all looked to see what was wrong. "It's Jesse!" she cried. He was kneeling on the floor with his hands around his neck.

"Can't…b-breathe…" he choked out, struggling to breathe.

"We need to get him to a hospital," said Donald.

"And quick," added Benji.

"I don't think he can walk on his own…" Beca said, holding back tears.

Donald and Unicycle hoisted Jesse onto their shoulders and carried him to Donald's car. "We can only fit five of us, including Jesse," Donald said, "Unicycle and I will go. Beca has to come, and I'll bring Lily."

"Well, can't do anything 'bout those lovebirds," Fat Amy muttered.

While everyone was focused on who would go and who wouldn't, Jesse was only focused on Beca, although he was drifting in and out of consciousness. "Beca," he said, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper.

"Shhh… I love y-you," Beca whispered, her voice cracking.

That's the last thing Jesse heard before he finally fell unconscious and Beca burst into tears.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The next couple of hours were a blur for Beca. All she remembered was getting to the hospital and Jesse being taken away from her. Now, she was sitting in the waiting room with Lilly, Donald, and Unicycle. She was still crying and couldn't stop. She knew how awful she must look right now, but that was the least of her worries.

"Do you know what helps me be calm when I'm sad?" Lilly asked, "Making snow angels in the grass…"

"That's very adorable, Lilly," said Donald, patting Lily's hand, but I don't think that's what Beca needs right now."

As he was saying these words, the rest of the crew burst through the hospital ER doors.

"Vertical… running… we… brought… food…" panted Fat Amy.

Beca's crying had quieted down a bit and she checked the clock. _3:17,_ it read. _It's three o'clock in the morning and we're sitting in the ER waiting to see if my fiancé's alive or not._ she thought, which started her crying all over again.

Benji sat down beside Beca and put his arm around her comfortingly. Typically, Beca would've pushed him away, but right now, she was too miserable to care.

"Hey," Benji said, "It's okay, I'm sure he'll do fine. He's strong and so are you. You know, underneath the tough girl and the scary ear spike, you're really quite sensitive. Almost like Luke Skywalker in a way. You know, from _Star Wars_."

Beca couldn't help but laugh at Benji's dorky Star Wars comparison, even though came out of her mouth sounded more like an elephant with a cold..

"Hey, I made you laugh didn't I? Wanna see a magic trick?"

Beca was about to say no when a nurse walked into the waiting room and asked, "Mr. Jesse Swanson's visitors?"

Beca sat up immediately. "Is he alive?" she asked, the terror apparent in her voice.

"Yes," the nurse said, to Beca's obvious relief, "In fact, he's awake and asking for someone named Beca. Are you Beca?"

Beca nodded feverishly and almost jumped up and down with joy but she decided against it and just followed the nurse to Jesse's room, Room 104.

"You may go in when you please," the nurse said, "I'll be back to check up on him later,"

Beca nodded and tried to collect herself. She was almost scared to go in, not knowing what condition Jesse would be in. She quickly ran to a bathroom nearby and splashed some water on her face, which helped her keep her emotions in.

She walked back outside of Jesse's room and took a deep breath. Then she gathered all her courage and turned the knob.

Jesse turned his head when he saw the door open. His face spread into a wide grin when he saw Beca walk in anxiously, her hands in her pockets. He actually looked better than Beca would've expected. He was propped on a few pillows, connected to a fluid IV, and he had tubes up his nose but he looked pretty okay-ish.

"Hey, my Million Dollar Baby," Jesse greeted Beca affectionately.

Beca waved slightly and walked up to his bed. Jesse shifted over a bit on the bed, wincing slightly, and patted the spot next to him. Beca sat down stiffly.

"So, what happened last night?" Jesse asked quietly.

Beca wanted to talk but as soon as she opened her mouth, tears started flowing from her eyes and she couldn't talk anymore.

"Hey, hey, shh, it's okay," Jesse whispered soothingly, pulling Beca down to sit down next to him and kissing her on her forehead. He started singing, "Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City? I'm a thousand miles away but, girl, tonight you look so pretty; yes you do. Time Square can't shine as bright as you, I swear it's true." He skipped most of the song to get to the end, "Oh, it's what you do to me, oh, it's what you do to me. Oh it's what you do to me, oh its what you do to me; what you do to me." Jesse stroked Beca's hair, waiting for her to calm down.

Beca sat up a couple of minutes later, trying to wipe off her face what might be left of her makeup.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "But I was so scared of what might've happened to you, I don't think I can tell you what happened."

"It's okay, I'll just ask one of the guys," Jesse nodded, holding Beca's hand in his.

"Hey," Beca said, "about last night…"

"I know what you're going to ask," Jesse smiled, "Don't worry, I talked to both our parents. Or, I mean, your dad."

Beca breathed an audible sigh of relief. The two of them just sat there quietly for the next couple of minutes, Jesse holding Beca's hand and playing with her engagement ring.

The nurse came in a couple of minutes later. Beca popped up off the hospital bed sheepishly. Then, behind the nurse, came Benji, Fat Amy, Donald, Lilly, Stacie, and Unicycle.

"Hey, so if you two lovebirds are done with your lovefest, I'd like to get a word in with Jesse here," Fat Amy said jokingly, punching Beca in the arm. Beca punched her back, but stepped away from Jesse reluctantly.

"So, dude, what happened?" Donald asked, stepping forward.

"I don't know, man, it was awfully scary for me too, but I'm trying to stay calm, if not for me, then for Beca's sake," Jesse replied, lowering his voice so Beca wouldn't hear.

Donald nodded thoughtfully while Benji and Unicycle walked up to Jesse.

"Man, are you okay?" Benji asked, "That was really scary what happened back there."

"But at least you got through the proposal, "Unicycle added.

Jesse laughed as Fat Amy pushed her way between the two guys, dragging Lilly and Stacie behind her.

"Hey, Amy," Jesse said, amusement playing in his eyes.

Amy was about to say something when the doctor walked in.

"Mr. Swanson," he said solemnly, "I have some vital information from the tests, but in order to tell you, everyone must leave immediately."

Everyone was being gradually herded out by the doctor, Beca being the last one to leave. Jesse called out to stop her just before she was about to walk out.

"Hold on, Beca!" he called out, "Doctor, can Beca Mitchell stay? She's my fiancée."

The doctor looked at Jesse suspiciously, but said, "Sure. Ms. Mitchell, take a seat."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Beca smiled gratefully before sitting back down next to Jesse on the bed. Jesse wrapped his arm around her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. The doctor sat himself down on a plastic chair placed near the bed. He shuffled through a few sheets of the paper he was holding in his hands.

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news," the doctor said, "What would you like to hear first?"

Jesse reached for Beca's hand and squeezed. "Bad news," they both said simultaneously.

"Well," the doctor hesitated, "This'll be hard to hear, but…"

Beca nudged closer into Jesse, afraid of what she might hear.

"We believe that Jesse may have lung cancer."

Beca was actually confused for a second when she heard that. First of all, Jesse was so young. Second of all, cancer was something she heard on the news all the time, but she never expected it to actually come into her life. As the realization slowly swept over her, she found herself trying so hard to hold tears back. She had to be strong for Jesse.

For Jesse, though, the realization hit him like a baseball in the chest and he found himself struggling for breath, despite the oxygen tank he was hooked up to. The doctor saw this and immediately called for nurses. They gathered around him and fussed around with the machine and Beca was being dragged out of the room.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Mitchell, but we have to ask you to leave," a nurse told her. The nurse said something else, but Beca was no longer listening. She was already in a daze and the tears started flowing, already uncontrollable. She was left out in the hallway and she slumped back onto the wall and slid down onto the floor, covering her face with her hands and sobbing, no longer caring about who saw.

About a half hour later, Beca felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up. It was Aubrey.

"Beca, Beca," Aubrey said, sitting down beside her, "Jesse's alright."

Beca sniffled and nodded.

"He told us what happened," Aubrey said, "It's okay, Beca, it's okay, really."

Beca shook her head a bit to clear her mind and nodded, despite the fact that she didn't think it was okay at all. _And,_ she realized, _We never even heard the good news._

"Come on," Aubrey said, "The other guys have some food, you haven't eaten in forever."

Beca, then, started realizing how hungry she was. She hadn't had anything to eat since lunch of the day of the proposal and now it was... she checked the clock quickly, _5:36_ _am_.

Aubrey stood up and gave Beca a hand getting up. Beca took Aubrey's hand and brought herself up. She was about to follow Aubrey out of the hospital wing when she stopped.

"Hold on," she said, turning around, "I'll be right back."

She quickly rushed over to Jesse's room and opened the door a crack. She peeked inside and saw that he was sleeping. There was no one else there, so she snuck in quietly. She sat down on the plastic chair next to the bed and looked at Jesse.

_He looks so peaceful and adorable when he's sleeping, _Beca thought, smiling a bit, _And he's such a heartthrob, even in a hospital gown._ She stood up and bent down, kissing him lightly on the lips. She stood up again and walked over to the door. Just before she left, she turned around and whispered, "Wake up soon. And I love you. More than you could ever know."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

As Beca and Aubrey walked into the waiting room, Donald walked up to them and offered Beca a sandwich.

"It's a BLT from the sandwich place around the corner. I know you want it," he smiled, holding it up in the air.

Beca lunged for it, if anything, she needed the food. She tore into the sandwich, temporarily forgetting about even Jesse.

Fat Amy came up behind her and said, "And there's the Beca I used to know. I was wonderin' where she went."

Beca laughed, but her memory got taken back to Jesse and suddenly, she wasn't hungry anymore. She abandoned the half-eaten sandwich in the trash can and sat down on a chair. She put her head in her hands and contemplated the situation she was in, but soon, she dozed off, exhausted from a long, long night.

Beca was shaken awake two hours or so later by Chloe, who told her that they were all heading back to their homes. Beca reluctantly got up and stretched before following Chloe out of the hospital.

When she arrived home, she almost immediately got in bed, after replacing her jeans with a pair of sweatpants. She tossed and turned multiple times but no matter how tired she was, she couldn't sleep. The bed was too cold. Typically, she couldn't sleep without Jesse by her side and today was no exception. She glanced at the clock. It was about two in the afternoon. She sighed. It was obvious she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, so she went to take a shower, redo her makeup, and grab something to eat.. She planned to go back to the hospital instead of keep going at her pathetic attempts to sleep.

After Beca took a shower and got a fresh outfit and layer of makeup and ate a granola bar, she headed back outside, this time grabbing her purse along the way. She drove to the hospital, where she briskly checked in with the front desk and headed up to room 104.

She opened the door just a crack and peeked in. Jesse was watching TV, an empty meal tray beside him, but when he saw her and beckoned her inside. She smiled and as she walked in, closing the door behind her gently.

Jesse switched the TV off and Beca took a good look at him. He looked a bit better than earlier, his skin tone a bit better and it looked like he was even breathing a bit without assistance.

"Hey Becs, you missed me so much you just had to come back for more, huh?" he said, winking.

"Well, I'd tell you I did but I don't want to make your head any bigger than it already is," Beca shot back, laughing.

Jesse made some room beside him and Beca sat down willingly. Jesse put his arms around Beca and kissed her, which slowly ascended into making out. But they were interrupted by an alarming noise. It was Beca's cell phone. Beca quickly dug it out of her purse, muttering annoyingly under her breath. It was her dad.

"Hi," Beca answered.

"Hey Beca!" her dad said, with extreme cheerfulness, "How's my little warrior doing?" His voice dropped down a bit, "Did Jesse do his little thing yet?"

Beca laughed at her dad's attempt to talk about Jesse's proposal, "Dad, yes, he's done his 'little thing,'"

"Wow! Well, you must be excited now! So, am I going to be invited to the wedding?"

Beca blushed, which Jesse saw and he raised his eyebrows, smirking. Beca stuck his tongue out at him and he laughed. Beca's face turned really serious, though, as she replied to her dad, "Actually, Dad, I have more than just a bit of news to share, so how about we go out to dinner sometime? Me, you, and Jesse?"

"Oh, whatever you have to share, it must be big now. Wait, you're not pregnant, right?"

Jesse obviously heard that because he started laughing and Beca poked his arm, stifling her own laughter.

"No! Dad, I'm _not_ pregnant."

"Okay, okay, just checking. So, anyways, you name the time and I'll be there."

"Uh, how about next Friday at 7?" Beca said, looking at Jesse for confirmation. Jesse nodded and she smiled.

"I'll be there!"

"Okay, see you then."

"Take care, Becs."

Beca closed her phone and tossed it back into her purse. She smiled apologetically at Jesse.

"Actually, I was a bit out of breath there, so that phone call came just in time," he laughed, "And your dad was right on target, wasn't he?" Beca slapped his arm, blushing but also laughing.

"Hey, that's no way to treat your boyfriend," Jesse said defensively, smiling.

Beca laughed and lay her head against his chest. Jesse smiled affectionately and stroked her hair gently, humming the tune to "Sunshine of Your Love" from _The Breakfast Club_.

"The doctor said that I'm getting a CT scan on Thursday morning to see if I actually have cancer," Jesse said quietly, breaking the prolonged silence.

Beca bit her lip, again reminded of Jesse's condition. Jesse slipped an arm around her and rubbed her arm, comforting her.

"Well, I'll be here Thursday morning, then, with you. But do you know how long you're still going to be here?" Beca asked, drawing invisible patterns with her finger on Jesse's chest.

"Well they told me until next Monday."

Beca sighed sadly, thinking about the lonely nights that lay ahead of her.

Jesse kissed her and said, "It's okay. I know what you're thinking. You can stay with me here or you can sleep with my Treble hoodie; it's in the closet,"

Beca smiled appreciatively, loving the fact that Jesse knew that his maroon Treble hoodie was her favorite.

"So… Bec…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking… What do you want our wedding to be like?"

Beca sighed thoughtfully. She was never the type of girl who had quixotic fantasies about their weddings. In fact, she never even thought about getting married until Jesse came along.

"I don't know," she said to Jesse, looking up at him, "Perhaps you should be the one to decide, Mr. Movie Nerd—or should I say, Buff,"

Jesse laughed softly, "Okay then, if you're sure, Million Dollar Baby,"

They sat there quietly, Beca laying on Jesse's chest and Jesse playing with Beca's hair.

"It's getting dark," Jesse said to Beca. He looked at the clock. It was about 7 pm. He told Beca that but she didn't answer. He nudged her gently. Then, he realized that she was asleep. He kissed her hair lightly and smiled. _She's so beautiful and I'm such a lucky guy._ He thought to himself. Then, he, too, closed his eyes and settled into a peaceful slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Beca awoke in the morning to the birds chirping outside. She opened her eyes and looked around, not remembering, at first, where she was. Then, she remembered all of what happened yesterday.

She was still lying with her head on Jesse's chest and even though he was still asleep, Jesse had his arm around Beca protectively. She smiled and was almost about to fall asleep again but then she suddenly remembered that she forgot to go to work yesterday!

She quickly looked at the clock, panicking a bit. It was a quarter to eight and she had to be at work by eight. She was about to get up and run out, but then she remembered that she was still on top of Jesse. She slowly picked his hand up and set it on the bed before getting up very slowly, trying not to disturb him. She looked herself up and down. She would just have to go to work in what she had on now, which actually looked fine, if not just a bit crumpled. She grabbed her purse and turned around, kissing Jesse gently on the lips before running out the door briskly, closing it gently behind her.

As she was speeding her way to work, hoping she wouldn't get a ticket, she pulled out her phone while stopped at a red light and texted Jesse quickly, "hey jess if u wake up and im not there, im just at work. i think i forgot yestrday. cross ur fingrs and hope my excuse is ok :) ilysm xoxox"

As Beca walked into work, she was stopped by her manager, who pulled her aside roughly. _Dang it,_ she thought.

"You better have a good excuse, Mitchell," her manager said, referring to Beca's absence yesterday.

"Yeah. My boyfriend stopped breathing and ended up in the hospital. Is that good enough?" she said, slightly irritated.

"Well, I don't know how much of that I can believe but I'll excuse you this time. It better not happen again. And go put your stuff down quickly, the restaurant's busy today."

Beca nodded wordlessly and walked towards the break room, hoping to avoid anymore run-ins.

As soon as she reached the break room, her phone started ringing. She flicked it to vibrate before checking the caller ID. Surprisingly, it was Chance.

"Hello?"

"Yeah, uh, hey Beca. It's Chance. Um, I'm at the hospital with Jesse right now and he's not exactly able to use his phone right now and so he told me to tell you that—"

"Listen, Chance, I would really love to hear it, but I'm at work and the restaurant's backed up and I really have to go. Like, right now."

"But he—"

Beca heard the manager call for her. "I'm sorry Chance, just text me or something. I have to go, bye."

She clicked off her phone before hearing his reply and threw on her apron while rushing outside. As she was working through her morning shift though, she was mildly concerned. What was it that Jesse had to tell her that was so important? Did he get hurt? Did something bad happen? Is he dying? Beca was worried all through the morning and she messed up two orders, causing the manager to be slightly upset. Beca never did have a great reputation at the restaurant.

As soon as 2 pm came and Beca's shift was over, she grabbed her purse, took off her apron, and dashed out of the restaurant towards her car. She jumped into her car and sped towards the hospital with impossible speed. She ran into the hospital and almost missed the front desk. She rebounded and checked in before speeding up the stairs to Jesse's room, the receptionist yelling behind her to stop running. She barged into Jesse's room, being nowhere near quiet and realizing gratefully that there were no nurses or doctors in the room, just Chance and Jesse. Chance whipped his head around, surprised by the loud interruption. Beca waved a bit and slumped against the wall, catching her breath. Then, she remembered what she was actually here for. She looked at Jesse on the bed. He lay unconscious, hopefully sleeping.

Beca looked at Chance, "Did something happen?"

Chance looked at Beca, something in his eyes that she couldn't tell, "Yeah, Jesse's CT scan got switched to today so he had it done this morning; he's just sleeping right now."

Beca gasped. _I told him I'd be here,_ she thought, blinking back tears with difficulty, determined not to let Chance see her tears. Nobody had ever seen her cry except for Jesse, the Bellas, and rarely, her dad.

"And actually," Chance checked his watch, "You're here just in time. I have to go back to work," Chance got up and walked towards the door. He turned around, "It was nice seeing you again, Beca," he said, and left.

Beca sat down silently in the plastic chair next to the hospital bed and tears started flowing. She put her head down on her hands and tried to stop the tears but they kept coming. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up. It was Jesse.

"Hey, why so sad?" he whispered, his voice a bit hoarse.

Beca looked at Jesse, "I told you I'd be here," she whispered back.

"It's okay," Jesse said, clearing a spot beside him, "Come here,"

Beca climbed up onto the bed beside Jesse and he looked at her, grinning.

"What?" she asked.

"You have flour on your face," he said, wiping it off gently with his thumb. Then, he wiped off all her tears, too, and kissed her.

Beca sniffled a bit and asked him what had happened.

Jesse told her that he had a CT scan done and also an x-ray. Then, he stared at her intently.

"Do I still have something on my face?" Beca asked.

"No, it's just that…"

"Spit it out, Swanson,"

"Beca… I have stage IV non-small cell non-smokers' adenocarcinoma. It's a terminal lung cancer."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Beca stared at Jesse, a horrified look in her eyes. She averted her eyes, looking down at her lap, not knowing what to say. Then, suddenly, tears started falling into her lap, each coming faster than the one before, until her shoulders were racking violently with sobs. Jesse put both his arms around her and she let her body fall into him, but he stayed silent, because his gentle heart wrenched with every heartbreaking sob that shook Beca's body.

Beca's sobs got a bit quieter as the minutes passed and soon, she was only sniffling. Jesse rubbed her back, calming her down. When Beca looked up though, Jesse's eyes were wet also. Beca reached her hand up and touched his cheek lightly. He smiled a bit sadly at her and kissed her, which she gladly returned.

"It's okay," Jesse whispered, swiping at his eyes, "We'll just have to pull through this together,"

"How long do you have?" Beca whispered back, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"The doctor said about four years, maybe five."

Beca nodded, her tears stuck in her throat in a huge lump, thinking of the song that Jesse sang when he proposed. Now, they wouldn't get the chance to grow old together. It was then that she saw that she'd gotten Jesse's hospital gown all wet with tears. "Hey, sorry for getting your clothes all wet," she said apologetically.

"Don't worry, that's the least of my worries," Jesse said, smiling.

Beca snuggled her head into Jesse's side, casually glancing at the clock.

"Oh crap," she sat up startled. It was 5:50; she had a shift at 6 pm. She jumped off the bed, causing a confused Jesse to look at her, puzzled. "I have to get to work," Beca explained quickly, grabbing her purse. She leaned in towards Jesse and kissed him, but as soon as her lips touched his, he set his hand on the back of her head, deepening the kiss. When Jesse came up for a short breath, Beca mumbled, "Jesse Swanson, you're going to be the death of me…" Jesse ignored her and set his lips back on hers, but Beca could feel Jesse's smirk against her mouth.

Jesse pulled back after another minute or so, "I'll let you go now, Becs. After all, I don't want to be the reason you get fired," Jesse grinned at Beca. Beca gave Jesse another peck on the lips before briskly walking out the door, smiling over her shoulder coyly before darting out, closing the door behind her softly.

After Beca left for work, Jesse sat for a bit, first thinking about Beca and then about himself. He hated to see Beca so miserable. He was too soft-hearted to stand seeing anyone that sad. And he thought about lung cancer. He had never smoked a single cigarette, although he remembers that he used to have a great-uncle or something that had lung cancer. He reaches up to touch his face, finding it suddenly moist with tears. He sets his head on his hands. _I should probably call my parents or something,_ he thought to himself. But his parents were out of the country for the next few days and their cell phone service didn't work out of country. _Well, _he thought to himself as he picked his phone up from the bedside table, already recharged, _the least I can do is keep Beca company._

As Beca went on break for a little while, she grabbed her phone out of her purse. She smiled when she saw that there was a new message from Jesse. "hey million dollar bby," she read, "so i figured that we should make a bucket list now that we no longer have all the time in the world… i'll start. 1) get married" Beca smiled a bit, but sadly, since making a bucket list felt like engraving a tombstone to her. She texted Jesse back, "2) go back to barden to c what the bellas and trebles r like now" Even though she denied it sometimes, Beca still missed BardenUniversity like crazy. After all, it's where she and Jesse met.

After work, Beca was about to go to the hospital on instinct, when she realized that visiting was closed. She debated sneaking in, but in the end, she decided to go home.

As Beca stepped into her apartment, she felt a rush of cold autumn air and she missed Jesse more than ever. She locked the door behind her and switched on the light and even turned up the thermostat, but nothing could take the place of Jesse. She put her purse down and stepped into the bedroom, putting on her Barden sweatshirt, which was huge on her. She brushed her teeth and cleaned up, but before long, she found herself reaching for Jesse's Treble hoodie. She hugged it to her chest. It smelled so much like Jesse. Soon, she found tears rolling down her face uncontrollably and she got into bed and switched off the light. She pulled the covers over her head and despite how much she truly missed Jesse, she fell asleep, tears rolling down her face and clinging on to Jesse's hoodie like it was her life, although to her, it truly was.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Before Beca knew it, Jesse was out of the hospital and it was Friday morning already. The hospital had held Jesse back a bit and let him out late, so it was Thursday by the time they told him he could go home, but to promptly inform them if anything out of the ordinary was occurring. The doctor at the hospital had said that when Jesse was coughing and having chest pains before and the doctor had said it was perfectly fine, it was a misdiagnosis. And it turned out to be fatal.. The doctor had also offered Jesse the option of chemotherapy, but he said that there wouldn't be much difference in the result, so Jesse denied the offer.

Jesse was lying in bed beside Beca, debating whether or not to get up. _She looks so peaceful when she's sleeping,_ he thought to himself, wanting to kiss her but not wanting her to wake up. Just as he finished thinking that, Beca rolled over towards Jesse and groaned, snuggling her head into his chest. Jesse put his arm around her. She opened one eye and looked at him.

"Good morning, beautiful," he said, kissing her softly.

She smiled and kissed him back. "Good morning, handsome," she said blearily. Beca didn't have work on Fridays and Saturdays, which left her free to sleep in. Jesse's phone beeped on the bedside table. He reached over and grabbed it, reading the message swiftly before turning back towards Beca.

"Donald just texted me. He and Lilly are going out for breakfast and wants to know if we want to double."

"Where?"

"At, uh, the tiny little coffee place down the road. It's called like Tous Le Monde or something like that. You know, we wanted to go there but never did?"

Beca nodded, "Yeah, I remember now. Um, yeah, sure tell them we'll meet them in like an hour or so." It was about nine am now so Beca figured they had some time to spare.

Jesse nodded and sent the text and said to Beca, "We better get up or else you're just gonna end up falling asleep again," he laughed as he picked her up bridal style and spun her around a few times, causing her to giggle in delight, before he set her down on her feet and kissed her. She kissed him back and they stood forehead to forehead for a few minutes before Jesse pecked Beca on the lips and dashed into the bathroom.

"Now, I get first shower," he announced from the bathroom, laughing.

Beca shook her head and smiled impishly before calling after him, "Not necessarily," and following him.

After both of them took a shower (which took longer than usual, although Beca insists that they were conserving water), Beca changed and went to put on makeup while Jesse changed. After Jesse changed, they walked down to Tous Le Monde together.

As Beca and Jesse entered the doors of the small café, Donald and Lilly were already there.

"Hey, Jesse, over here!" Donald called from the table that they were sitting at. Jesse took Beca's hand and pulled her over to the table.

"Hi," Lilly said, just barely loud enough for the other three of them to hear, "And do you guys want to see a dissected cat?"

"Adorable," Donald said, kissing Lilly.

"Dude, we just got here, chill!" Jesse said, laughing and sitting down, tugging Beca down with him.

"So, how've you been doing, man?" Donald asked Jesse.

"Fine, fine, I guess,…" Jesse trailed off. He hadn't told Donald about the doctor's final diagnosis yet.

"You're hidin' something. I can see it, Jesse. Now, spill," Donald said.

"Well, you see…" Jesse was interrupted by the waitress coming around for orders. _Saved by the bell,_ Jesse thought.

"Coffee and French toast for me," Donald told the waitress, "Lil?"

Lilly whispered something into Donald's ear. "Uh, she'll have just coffee."

"Um, I'll take the scrambled eggs and coffee," Jesse said, scanning his menu and then closing it.

"The pancakes, scrambled eggs, croissant and orange juice," Beca said.

"Dang, Beca, you have a big appetite for a tiny person," Jesse teased after the waitress had left, poking Beca's tummy gently.

Beca lay a protective hand over her tummy and punched Jesse's arm lightly.

"So, Jesse, you still have to spill the beans," Donald said.

Jesse sighed and took Beca's hand in his, rubbing it softly. "Well, here's the thing…. I had a CT scan and an x-ray done the other day and the doctor said I have non-small cell, non-smokers' adenocarcinoma,"

"What's that?" Donald asked, clearly confused.

"It's…. It's a terminal lung cancer,"

Donald's jaw dropped and even Lilly gasped. Beca pressed her face into Jesse's shoulder and Jesse put an arm around her, kissing her forehead. The food came a couple of minutes later but no one even looked at it.

"But how? When?" Donald asked, breaking the silence.

"Just a couple of days ago, I found out. And I don't know how either,"

Lilly reached her hand across the table and patted Beca's hand in an attempt to comfort her. Beca lifted her head up but although there were no tears on her face. Beca swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to smile.

"Hey, you two, it's okay, we'll all help you through this," Donald said, "But meanwhile, let's not sit here and wait for the food to get cold."

Jesse grinned. Of course Donald was still thinking about food at a time like this.

They all dug into their food, though, Beca finishing at record speed.

"Jesus, Beca! Don't choke yourself!" Jesse said, laughing. Beca smiled and jabbed Jesse's arm. Jesse poked her back and soon, an all-out poking war broke out.

"God, and they're telling us to chill," Donald stage-whispered to Lilly.

Beca and Jesse broke off in a fit of laughter and Jesse kissed Beca quickly, her kissing him back. Donald rolled his eyes and laughed.

Jesse looked at him and said, "Like you and Lilly are any better!"

After they had all finished eating, they sat there silently. Donald looking at Lilly mouthing words to a rap song and Jesse holding Beca's hand, rubbing circle on her palm with his thumb.

"Hey, guys? I-I'm… pregnant."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Everyone at the table fell silent and turned to look at Beca, who curled her hand over her mouth, regretting having blurted the news out of the blue.

Jesse was the first to talk, "Beca, how?"

Beca bit her lip, "Do you remember that one night when, um, we were, well, Amy invited us to go to this one party and then… Um, when we came back home…"

Jesse looked away guiltily. Beca leaned into Jesse and kissed him, "It's okay, Jess. We're going to have a child and it's also yours."

Jesse smiled and kissed Beca who kissed him back, smiling also.

"Hey, so if you guys are done, I'd like to get a word in with Beca sometime this century," Donald said, grinning.

Jesse pulled back sheepishly, but kept his hand on Beca's leg.

"When did you find out?" Donald asked, suddenly serious.

"A couple days before Jesse came back, but I never told him because I didn't want to worry him any more than he already was."

Jesse looked at her admiringly. _She is such a strong girl,_ he thought, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. Just then, Beca's phone rang in her purse, "Oops. Sorry," Beca muttered, darting out of her chair and out of the restaurant to answer her phone because of the strict no cell phone policy in Tous Le Monde.

"Are you okay?" Lilly asked Jesse quietly, when Beca left.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. J-Just a lot to handle, that's all…" Jesse said, looking down at his shoes.

Beca came back in a couple of minutes later, "Jesse, my dad invited your parents to have dinner with us tonight, that okay?" she asked, sitting down.

"Yeah, 'course," Jesse replied.

"Have you told your parents about like... You know…" Beca asked awkwardly.

"Which? The proposal or the, um, lung stuff?"

"The lung stuff,"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I did. The other day,"

"Don't worry, you guys, do you want us to spread the news or do you want to, like, do it yourself?" Donald asked.

"Uh, yeah, you can tell them about the c-cancer," Jesse said.

"But not about me," Beca added quickly.

"Gotcha," Donald said, "Now, actually, me and Lil have to get going,"

"Okay," Jesse said, seeming a bit off-focus. Donald waved and then he and Lilly set off.

"Jess?" Beca asked, leaning on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Jesse started to nod and then shook his head, "No, I guess I'm really not…"

"What's wrong?"

"It's just… Like, I don't know what we'll do. I mean, I now have terminal cancer and you're pregnant and our parents don't even know half of this!"

"Well, we'll tell them tonight, together. And, as for the baby, do you want me to…. Well… Abort it?"

"No! No, that's not what I mean at all, but what're you going to do if… I'm, well, gone?"

Beca paused, tears in her eyes, "I-I don't know…"

Jesse put his arm around her and squeezed her tight. Beca kissed his cheek, "Don't worry, Jesse, we'll cross that bridge if we get there. But, right now, I think we should go back to the apartment."

Jesse nodded and set a twenty dollar bill down on the table and the two of them got up and walked back to their apartment.

When they got home, Jesse settled down on their small couch and Beca sat beside him, her head in his chest. Jesse kissed her lightly and she kissed back, tears streaming down her face. Jesse held her face in both his hands, "What's wrong, Million Dollar Baby?"

"I'm scared," she whispered, crying into Jesse's chest.

"Why?" he asked, putting his hand on her hair and stroking it soothingly.

"I'm so scared. For us," Beca said hoarsely, wiping off the mascara dripping down her face.

Jesse kissed her again, holding back tears of his own, "I-It's okay," he whispered back, his voice cracking, "It'll be okay. I promise, it'll be okay." But he looked away quickly, because he was afraid that that was a promise he couldn't keep.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Soon enough, it was 6 pm and Jesse and Beca were getting ready to go out to dinner with their parents. They were just about ready to go and while Jesse put a tie on, Beca came up behind him in a loose silver dress with a black shawl wrapped around it.

"Hey, Million Dollar Baby," he said, looking her up and down, "You look gorgeous,"

"Hey, not too shabby yourself, Swanson," Beca said, laughing. She pulled the tie off of him, "You look better with the other one on," she explained, running into their room and grabbing a different tie. She secured it on him efficiently and wrapped her arms around his waist, "Are you ready for this?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah. I think so," he said, holding her hands in his.

"Okay, let's go," Beca said, tugging on his hand as he grabbed his jacket and then followed her out, locking the door behind him.

As they drove up to the restaurant, Beca's dad was already there, "Hey Bec, over here!" he yelled loudly from the front door of the restaurant, waving wildly and attracting the stares on bypassers.

"I see you, Dad, I see you," Beca muttered under her breath. Jesse chuckled quietly and she glared at him, but smiling.

As they got to the front of the restaurant, Jesse's parents pulled up. Jesse waved at them and they got out and walked up to meet them at the front of the restaurant. Jesse's parents shook hands with Beca's dad and hugged Jesse and Beca, "Jesse," his mom said, holding him for a lot longer than she usually would, "Your dad told me what you told him on the phone…"

Jesse nodded grimly and took Beca's hand in his.

"Beca, dear," Jesse's dad said, "Are you taking this okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course, Mr. Swanson…" Beca replied, trailing off.

Beca's dad came up to them, "Uh, am I missing something here?"

Beca's voice faltered for a second as she remembered that she never told her dad the news but before anyone could say anything, she quickly said, "Uh, Dad, let's just go in for now. We'll talk about this later, I promise."

Dr. Mitchell looked at Beca strangely but didn't talk much more about it. Then, he said to the rest of the group, "Let's go inside, everybody, it is getting chilly out here."

Jesse caught Beca's hand and whispered to her on the way in, "Nice save,"

"Thanks," Beca replied, smiling.

Everyone went into the restaurant and the waiter got them a table where they took care of jackets and purses before settling down.

"Ah, I didn't get a chance to properly greet you, Jesse. You seem to be working wonders for Beca here," Dr. Mitchell said, standing up and reaching his hand across the table. Beca shot her dad a look that he laughed off.

Jesse smiled and shook his hand, "Always a pleasure to see you again, Dr. Mitchell,"

"Oh, just call me John" Dr. Mitchell said, sitting back down.

"Alright, Dr. Mit—I mean John,"

"So, how're you two kids doing these days?" Jesse's mom asked.

"Just fine, Mrs. Swanson," Beca replied, setting her hand on top of Jesse's on his leg.

"Kathy'll do just fine, dear. And you can just call my husband Charlie. No need to go all 'Mr. and Mrs. Swanson' on us. I mean, gosh, you can't call us that after you two are already engaged!" Beca and Jesse both blushed at this and exchanged glances at each other.

The waiter came soon after and after everyone finished ordering, an awkward silence filled the air.

"Well, Beca, how would you like to explain what happened out there?" John said, looking at Beca.

Beca shot Jesse an anxious glance, "Uh… Well…" _Dang it,_ she thought.

"Is it about the cancer?" Kathy asked, oblivious to the tension.

"What cancer?" John asked, bewildered.

"Our Jesse got some sort of terminal lung cancer," Charlie said sadly.

"What?!" John said, clearly dumbstruck, "And you failed to tell me this, Beca?"

Beca was looking down at the floor and when she'd lifted her head up, her face was tear-stained, "I-I couldn't," she whispered, still crying.

Jesse pulled her close to him and rubbed her shoulders softly, "Shh, shh, hey, it's okay, Million Dollar Baby, it's okay, I'm right here," Beca hung on to Jesse tightly and he hummed to her softly as she calmed down and just lay against him.

"Aw, sweetheart, we didn't mean to upset you," Kathy said, reaching over and patting Beca's shoulder softly.

Beca sniffled and nodded a bit. The waiter came by and dropped off their food, giving Beca a concerned glance, but didn't say anything.

"Are you okay now, Becs?" Jesse said quietly. Beca nodded and sat up. She quietly excused herself and went to the restroom to clean herself up. Jesse looked down at his shoes. He really hated to see Beca so miserable and unlike her usual strong self.

Beca came back a few minutes later, looking a bit cleaned up. She sat back down and Jesse grasped her hand in his. She smiled gratefully at him and he smiled back and pecked her quickly on the lips.

"Um, so, should we eat before the food gets cold?" Charlie said, trying to break the tension.

"Sure, why not?" John said, attempting to smile.

"Here's to all of us," Charlie said, lifting his glass. Everyone repeated after him and lifted their glass also. Jesse snuck a look at Beca. She looked back and the color started to come back in her cheeks.

"I love you," Jesse mouthed to Beca.

"I love you too," she mouthed back as the glasses clinked.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

As everyone finished up their food, a comfortable silence rested in the air. Beca reached over and brushed a smudge of tomato sauce off of Jesse's cheek. Jesse grinned, "Thanks,"

Beca rolled her eyes subtly, smiling, "You're welcome, nerd,"

Jesse looked at his parents. They had their heads close together and were whispering. Jesse rolled his eyes. Knowing them, they were probably talking about him.

Beca looked at Jesse and whispered, "Should I tell our parents about, um…" She rested her hand on her tummy pointedly.

"If you'd like," Jesse whispered back, putting his hand on top of hers.

Beca cleared her throat quietly and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath, "Kathy, Charlie, Dad?"

All three of them turned to look at Beca. Beca looked at Jesse anxiously and he gave her a reassuring nod. "I-I'm pregnant,"

The three parents gaped at the two of them. Kathy was the first to speak, "Oh my goodness! Sweetheart, how long has it been?"

Beca thought for a second before answering, "Two weeks? About?"

Kathy smiled sympathetically, "The morning sickness will start coming soon."

"Jesse? You never planned to tell us this?" Charlie said.

Jesse looked down at his shoes as a blush crept up his neck. Charlie laughed and said, "I'm just kidding you, son. I'm happy for the two of you,"

Jesse smiled and looked up again, "Thanks Dad,"

Beca glanced at her dad. He was the only one who hadn't spoken yet. "Beca, could I talk to you for a second? _Privately,_" John asked, or rather, commanded.

Beca slunk out of her seat and followed her dad outside. "Beca," her dad said, turning around to face her.

"Yeah?" Beca mumbled, not looking up.

"Beca, look at me," John said, lifting his daughter's head up by her chin.

Beca looked at her dad with lifeless eyes.

"Beca… I don't even know what I'm doing here. Beca, I trust you, I really do. You're 23 years old and I trust you with Jesse."

Beca eyes seemed to come back, "Really?" she whispered.

"Yes, Beca, I do. You're responsible enough and you've grown up and I think I realize that now. Besides, Jesse's a great kid. I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I'll support you no matter what, Bec. Even the hospital bills."

Beca stepped forward to hug her dad, "Thank you," she said.

"But, Bec, does that mean I was right when I called you that first time?"

Beca blushed, "Actually, no, I didn't know I was pregnant then yet."

John stepped out and put his arm on the small of his daughter's back, smiling, "Alright, if you say so, Beca. Now let's go inside before Jesse come looking for you. That kid is very protective of you."

Jesse breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Beca and John appear through the door, Beca looking fairly happy. Beca sat back down next to Jesse, smoothing down her dress. "Everything okay?" Jesse asked Beca.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Beca smiled.

For another hour or so, the two families sat and just talked. Eventually, people were getting tired, so the parents and their children parted ways with hugs and kisses and good luck wishes.

As Jesse and Beca walked back to the car, Jesse put his arm around Beca and felt her shiver. "Cold?" he asked.

"A bit," Beca said, shivering again. Jesse took off his jacket and slipped it around her shoulders. He looked at her and laughed.

"What?" Beca asked, following his line of vision and looking at herself and laughing too. The jacket looked ridiculously big on her.

"But you're still cute as always," Jesse said, kissing Beca before walking around to the passenger side and opening her door.

"My incredibly dorky but adorably cheesy movie nerd who I love just the way he is, though," Beca said, climbing into the passenger seat.

Jesse smiled and closed the door before walking over to the drivers' side and hopping in, "Yes, I do tend to have that effect on people," he said, laughing and starting up the car.

As they got on the road, Beca looked over at Jesse, "My dad offered to help us with hospital bills,"

"Really?" Jesse said, not taking his eyes off the road, "So did my parents!"

Beca smirked. Jesse was so careful about driving and he never took his eyes off the road. She smiled mischievously, knowing Jesse couldn't see her and she put her hand on his knee subtly and then looked up at him. He was still completely oblivious. She crept her hand slowly up his leg and watched for his reaction. He had his eyes still glued on the road , but she could see him cracking. Beca put her hand right underneath his hip bone and rubbed small circles. A slight smile spread across Jesse's face and Beca smirked, moving her hand towards his tummy. He let out a soft moan and she grinned, leaving her hand there.

"Beca… Honestly, you're gonna be the death of me…." Jesse said, "And probably also you, since you're trying to get us killed here," he added, smiling.

Beca laughed and kissed his cheek, "I guess that means I accomplished my mission,"

Jesse smiled, "Just you wait, Mitchell, I'll get my revenge."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

After the weekend had passed, it was soon Monday morning again. Jesse opened his eyes Monday morning to the sound of someone throwing up in the bathroom. He quickly got up and went over to the bathroom, running his fingers through his hair a few times. He opened the door to the bathroom slowly and peeked in. He saw Beca sitting against the toilet with a tear-stained face, still in her pajamas. He quickly walked in and closed the door after him, kneeling down next to Beca. "Hey Beca, what's wrong?"

Beca coughed and sniffled before answering, "I think it's what your mom was talking about yesterday; morning sickness," Beca coughed again and stood up, bending over the toilet and throwing up again. Jesse stood beside her and held her hair up, rubbing her back gently.

Beca spluttered a few times before collapsing on the floor in tears. Jesse sat down next to her and hugged her gently. "Jesse… I-I can't do th-this…" she said, leaning her head into his chest.

"Sure you can, Million Dollar Baby," Jesse said quietly.

"N-no I can't, I-I can't do this,"

"Beca, listen. You're the strongest person I know. If anybody can do this, it's you."

Beca nodded slightly and stood up to rinse her mouth. Jesse waited for her right outside the door and she came out, looking a bit better, but still slightly flushed. Jesse put his arm around her and kissed her cheek softly, "Okay now?" he asked.

"Yeah," Beca mustered all her strength and smiled slightly.

"I'm going back to work today, Becs. You're going to be okay?" Jesse said, looking through the closet.

Beca nodded, "I'll be fine,"

Later that morning, Beca was at work and she was not in a good mood. _Pregnancy hormones are b****es, _she thought irritably. She'd been snapping at everyone this morning and most everyone was avoiding her now. As she walked into the break room for her break, her phone beeped promptly. She picked it up, knowing it would probably be a text from Jesse.

"i hope ur doing ok love. itll get better trust me. i love u million dollar baby xox" Beca read silently. She put it back into her purse without replying. She just wasn't in the mood and she hoped Jesse would understand that.

Meanwhile, Jesse was downright panicking at work. Beca had never missed a single day of replying to his daily text. He checked his phone every two minutes and was so worried. He called Beca three times, with no answer. As soon as his shift ended, he bolted out the door and headed towards the restaurant, knowing that Beca got out a few minutes later than he did. As Beca walked out the door to the restaurant, Jesse breathed out a sigh of relief, but ran over to Beca anyways.

"Bec, you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, just fine," Beca replied, kind of irritably.

Jesse looked at Beca and cocked his head slightly to one side, "Why didn't you answer my text?"

"Okay, do I seriously have to answer every single text that comes my way from you?" Beca retorted, annoyed.

Jesse bit his bottom lip and kept silent, walking to his car while Beca walked over to hers.

He arrived a the apartment a bit after Beca and opened the door cautiously, walking in quietly. He shut the door behind him and walked over to the bedroom, where the door was closed. He opened it slowly and peeked in.

"What," Beca said exasperatedly.

Jesse walked in and saw that Beca was sitting on the far side of the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head down. He sat down beside her, on the other side of the bed, a good distance away just in case. "Beca, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, her head still down.

"Beca, talk to me,"

"There's nothing to talk about," Beca paused and looked over at Jesse just a tiny bit. He was looking down, expressionless, and the regular person wouldn't have thought that anything was wrong, but Beca knew Jesse well enough to know that you had to look into his eyes to really know what was going on. His eyes were filled with hurt right now and Beca hated to hurt Jesse, she really did. But today, half of the stuff she was saying wasn't even going through her head and she didn't even mean it. Suddenly, her eyes filled to the brim with tears and she collapsed onto Jesse, hugging him like there was no tomorrow. Jesse was startled at first, but then he put his arms around her tightly and pulled her up next to him.

"There, there," he said quietly, hugging her to him. He hummed an improvised song softly and rocked her back and forth gently.

"I'm sorry, Jesse," Beca finally said.

"For what?"

"For blocking you out again. It's just—" Beca lifted her head up and tucked her hair behind her ear, "These pregnancy hormones are just killing me and half of the words that come out of my mouth haven't even gone through my head and I don't even mean it and—" Beca stopped rambling and leaned into Jesse.

Jesse stroked her hair considerately, "Don't worry Million Dollar Baby, I understand. But I want you to be able to talk to me about whatever worries you have, okay? That's what I'm here for, right?"

Beca nodded and leaned her head up to kiss Jesse. Jesse smiled and kissed her back lightly. Jesse lifted Beca onto his lap and she turned around, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Jesse smiled and put his hands around her waist. Suddenly, Jesse tackled Beca's neck with her mouth, planting soft kisses up her neck. He moved up behind her ear and clamped his teeth around her earlobe gently. Beca gasped softly and Jesse smirked.

"I told you I'd get revenge, Mitchell,"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

A few months later, Beca was getting her first ultrasound. Jesse had taken the day off of work to go with Beca. Beca had been getting sick more often and she often had mood swings, but Jesse was getting used to it already.

"Nervous?" Jesse asked, getting off the car, having arrived at the hospital already. Beca yawned slightly and nodded, getting off the car also. She had already started to show a bit, which Jesse thought was quite adorable.

Jesse walked over to her and put his arm around her, kissing her forehead, "You'll be okay,"

Beca smiled up at him, "You'll make a wonderful dad," she said.

"You'll be an even better mom," Jesse said, opening the door to the hospital. They went inside, checked in, and were directed to a room. They both sat down in the plastic chairs in the room. Beca sighed softly, hoping Jesse wouldn't catch it, but no such luck.

"Beca, what's wrong?" Jesse asked, resting his hand on Beca's.

"It's just… What if things go wrong? You go wrong, I go wrong, something goes wrong, what do we do then?"

Jesse interlocked their fingers together and kissed the back of Beca's hand, "Life happens, Bec, and sometimes, we just have to go with it. But no matter what, it'll all turn out okay. In the end, what is right becomes right and nothing can stop that."

Beca smiled and nodded, kissing Jesse softly, who smiled and kissed her back. Just then, the ultrasound technician walked in, closing the door after her.

"Good morning, um…" she checked her clipboard quickly, "Mr. and Mrs. Swanson?"

Beca blushed and corrected her quickly, "Um, actually it's Mitchell, Beca Mitchell," Beca looked over and saw Jesse smirking slightly so she nudged him discreetly with her elbow but his smirk only grew wider.

"First ultrasound?" the technician asked. Beca nodded and the technician reassured her that everything would be just fine and they would just figure out the due date of the baby and how it's doing and whatnot. .

The technician asked Beca to lay down and she pulled Beca's shirt up to just above her tummy and put some sort of gel on it. Beca gasped slightly and Jesse pulled his chair up beside her, taking her hand in his.

"Cold?" the technician asked. Beca nodded. The technician began performing the procedures for the ultrasound, explaining the steps as she went.

After the ultrasound was over, Beca and Jesse were directed out into the waiting room and told that the results would come in just a few minutes.

"Feeling okay, Million Dollar Baby?" Jesse asked, setting his hand on hers.

"Yeah," Beca replied, looking at him, "You know, what would I do without you, Jess?" Jesse smiled and pushed her hair out of the way, kissing her cheek. The technician walked in just then with a folder, some papers, and the clipboard.

"You two can come with me," she said, motioning for them to follow her.

Beca slipped her hand into Jesse's and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. They were led into a different room and were shown the recording of the ultrasound. They couldn't see too much since the baby was still in its earlier stages of development, but they both gaped in awe. When the recording was over, Jesse looked over at Beca and smiled, raising his eyebrows.

"That's our little baby," Jesse said.

Beca smiled and nodded, looking back at Jesse, her eyes a lot brighter than they had been for a while.

"Ms., uh, Mitchell," the technician said, "the baby looks very healthy right now, and although I think it's a bit early in the stages to be able to determine its gender, you're due for about the 4th of May."

Beca smiled excitedly and looked at Jesse, who mirrored her expression.

"You should be coming back in about three to four months for another ultrasound," the technician said, "And here are the papers regarding the ultrasound results and some brochures and papers about pregnancy and etc., but otherwise, you're good to go!"

Beca and Jesse accepted the papers and thanked the technician before heading back out.

"It's all pretty amazing, isn't it Bec?" Jesse said, opening the door for Beca and letting her get on before heading over to his side of the car. Beca nodded and smiled wistfully.

"I mean, one second, I'm singing to you from the backseat of a car, and the next second, we're building a future together," Beca bit her lip gently, looking out the window, _But, Jesse, _she thought to herself, _we might not even get the chance to spend our futures together._


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

As Beca was getting further into her pregnancy, she started to show more and soon was granted a much-needed maternity break from work. Unfortunately, Jesse was still working, so often days, Fat Amy, who hadn't yet landed a suitable job, came over to keep Beca company.

Beca was curled up on the couch in a bunch of blankets one day, watching one of Jesse's chick flicks when a knock on the door came, "If it's you, Amy, just come in!" she called, as the door was unlocked.

"I'm back Shawshank!" Amy called, coming in and throwing herself down at the end of the couch that Beca wasn't already occupying.

"Hey Amy," Beca greeted, sitting up and running her fingers through her hair, still damp from that morning's shower.

"Where've you and Jesse been? Even though Donald spilled the beans about the baby, all of us have been like texting you and stuff and you never picked up! It's like you two dropped off the earth!"

"It's been busy and all what with work and a baby coming along,"

"That doesn't give you a reason to drop off the face of the earth! We've all been worried like anything!"

"Give me a break," Beca groaned.

Amy laughed and lay back on the sofa, looking up at the TV, "Dang, Jesse's movie obsession is really gettin' to you, isn't it."

Beca smiled, _Maybe it is._ "I'm so cold," she said, curling up further into the blankets.

Amy frowned for a second, looking at Beca, "And you're pale… How do you feel?"

"Tired," Beca said.

Amy reached over and felt Beca's forehead, "Beca, you're burning up!"

Beca's eyes widened at that, "What?!" She picked up her phone and tossed it to Amy, "Call Jesse for me,"

Amy fumbled the phone but caught it successfully and dialed Jesse's number quickly and pressed the phone to her ear. Jesse picked up on the second ring.

"Bec?"

"Actually, it's Amy. Listen, your girlfriend's running a fever."

"What? Te—" Jesse was cut off by a crash on the other end.

"Jesse?" Amy heard some muffled sounds before hearing his voice come back

"Dang, dropped my phone, sorry Amy. Hold on, could you get her on the phone?"

"Yeah," Amy said, "He wants to talk to you," Amy said, handing the phone back to Beca.

Beca put the phone to her ear, "Jess?"

"Hey Million Dollar Baby, how do you feel?"

"Tired, sick… mostly tired,"

"Um, tell you what, my shift ends in, like, twenty minutes so I'll be back in, like, half an hour tops, 'kay?"

Beca nodded but then remembered that he couldn't see he, "Okay,"

"Okay, just hold on, I'll be there soon. Love you,"

"Love you too, see you soon,"

Beca slipped the phone back into the pocket of her sweatpants. "What did he say?" Amy asked.

"He'll be here in half an hour."

Amy nodded and sat back, watching the movie still playing on the screen. After a while, she sat up, still watching the screen, "Hey Shawshank?" Beca didn't answer. "Becaaa," Silence. Amy looked over at Beca and saw her fast asleep, _Oh._

Jesse walked in a few minutes later in a rush, his face filled with concern. He looked at Beca's limp form covered with blankets and looked at Amy with wide eyes, "Is she okay?" he asked, walking over to Beca.

"Yeah, she's fine, just a bit tired."

Jesse glanced at the TV screen and cracked a half-smile. He reached over and felt Beca's forehead with the back of his hand, "Dang, she's burning,"

"Yeah it's kinda bad."

Jesse stood and contemplated the situation. He decided to carry Beca bridal style, blankets and all and walked over to the open door, "Thanks Amy," he said, walking out, bumping the door closed after him.

"Uh Jes—"_Slam._ "Oookay never mind," Amy said, still sitting in the now-empty apartment.

Jesse got out to his car and realized that his car keys were in his pocket and he was holding Beca with two hands. _Dang it, _he thought, wondering what to do with Beca. He slowly shifted her weight to his one arm, thankful that she was small and light, and quickly retrieved his keys and opened the back door, setting Beca down on the backseat. She stirred a little and Jesse adjusted the blankets over her and brushed the hair out of her face before heading over to the driver's side.

A few minutes later, Jesse pulled into the hospital parking lot, waking Beca up. She sat up slowly, propping herself up with one hand and rubbing her eyes with the other, "Jesse?"

"Hey Bec,"

"What—Where am I?"

"You were running a fever so I'm bringing you to the hospital."

Beca's expression changed as the memory dawned on her. She twisted herself so she was sitting properly ran her hand through her hair. Jesse got up and went over to Beca's side, opening the door and offering her a hand. Beca grabbed it and got out, rubbing her hand over her face. Jesse kissed Beca's forehead gently and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Don't," Beca said, "I'll get you sick,"

"You can't tell me not to kiss my fiancée," Jesse said, smiling.

Beca smiled but then slowly frowned, "D-Do you think we might've… lost th-the... I can't say it…."

Jesse looked at Beca with a now serious look on his face, "I don't know, baby, I just don't know."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

As Beca and Jesse walked into the hospital, Beca tied her damp hair into a messy bun so it'd be a bit better-looking. Jesse led the two of them to the desk, where they explained that Beca had a fever and she was pregnant and such. The receptionist raised her eyebrows in concern and entered something into her computer before directing them to a room immediately. Beca bit her lip and frowned anxiously. Jesse kissed her and tried to reassure her that it would be okay.

They got to the room and the doctor walked in a few minutes later and performed some tests on Beca. She then took the papers where she recorded some observations and walked out, telling them that she'd be back with the results soon. Beca sat down and lay her head on Jesse shoulder. Jesse took her hand and intertwined their fingers, gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"What if it does happen? What if we did lose it?" Beca whispered.

Jesse looked down at the floor and closed his eyes momentarily. He couldn't pretend anymore. What if something did actually happen?

Just then, the doctor came in with a sullen look on her face and Jesse felt Beca's grip on his hand tighten. The doctor sat down and looked at the two of them intently.

"I don't want to have to keep the two of you waiting, so I'm just going to say it straight up,"

Jesse's heart sank as he knew what was probably about to happen.

"There's been a… miscarriage.."

Jesse stomach dropped and he felt Beca's hand go limp. Beca's face tilted in towards his chest and he felt her tears against him already. He tried to hold back his own tears, if not for him, then for Beca, but he couldn't and soon they spilled over and he put his arms around Beca, who was sobbing into him, as he cried silently.

The doctor waited patiently as the Beca and Jesse recollected themselves a bit and she gave them the papers that showed the results.

"No, I don't think we can take those," Jesse said, handing them back to the doctor. She nodded and Jesse helped Beca stand up, still keeping his arm around her. The doctor told them that they could contact her if they needed help and Jesse thanked her before leading Beca out into the parking lot.

After they both got into the car, they sat silently, Jesse twirling the car keys around his finger slowly. Beca looked out the window, wiping below her eyes. Jesse started the car and started driving back to the apartment, the entire ride silent and miserable.

As Jesse pulled into the parking lot and he and Beca made their way up to the apartment. He looked at Beca multiple times, trying to decipher her blank expression. Jesse unlocked their door and threw his keys on the table, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. That's when he realized that they weren't the only ones in the apartment.

"Hey," Aubrey said quietly, the first one to speak.

Jesse stumbled back a few steps in surprise, hitting the wall behind him.

"We heard from Amy what might've happened and she told us to come over," Benji explained.

Jesse bit his lip and looked at Beca again, who was staring at the floor, her arms crossed defensively. Amy came and led her over by the Bellas while Jesse found himself a seat on the sofa by the Trebles. The Bellas surrounded Beca with quiet comforts while the Trebles all looked at Jesse, who sat bent over with his hands clasped in front of him. He could already hear Beca crying again and tears welled up in his own eyes, threatening to escape. Donald set his hand on Jesse's shoulder, "You've still got time, dude. You two are still young."

Jesse shook his head, "I can't stand to see her like this," Donald and Unicycle nodded, both having girlfriends of their own. Beca suddenly stood up in the group of Bellas and walked over to Jesse, sitting down beside him and leaning her head into his shoulder, still crying. Jesse closed his eyes, trying to stop his own tears from falling, but remained unsuccessful and let them fall, bending his head down and wrapping his arms around Beca who instinctively curled up in his lap and soon, she fell asleep, exhausted from the day's events.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

After fifteen minutes or so of silence passed, everyone started leaving, comforting Jesse and the sleeping Beca before heading their separate ways, until soon, it was back to just Beca and Jesse. Jesse looked at Beca and pushed the hair out of her face gently, wiping away the traces of tears and ruined makeup on her face. Then, he kissed her forehead gently and lay a stray blanket over her, keeping her on his lap. He, then, fell asleep also, his head laying back on the couch.

When Beca awoke, it was light out and she lifted her head up slightly and looked around. She saw Jesse and smiled, glancing at the clock. _9:56,_ it read. Beca suddenly remembered what had happened the previous day and the memory came crashing down on her, forcing tears out of her eyes again. She desperately wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling. She felt Jesse move under her and she lifted her head up to look at him. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to get rid of the bleariness. He looked around confused before looking down at Beca and smiling.

"Hey Million Dollar Babe," he greeted cheerfully before seeing the tears on her face. Yesterday seemed to come back to him too, because suddenly his eyes filled with a tearing pain and his face took on a different look. Beca looked up at him and closed her eyes, unable to look at the agony in his eyes, but tears were still seeping out from under her lashes. She sat up and rested her head in the crook of Jesse's neck and Jesse cradled her against him.

"You're still running a fever, baby," he whispered. Beca nodded and sniffled. Jesse got up and set Beca on the couch gently and went to the bathroom. He came out a few seconds later with fever medicine in his hand. Beca was curled up on the end of the couch, the blanket smothering her. Jesse went and grabbed a spoon before coming and sitting down next to her. Beca sat up and lay back against the couch.

"Do I have to?" she pouted, a smile creeping onto her face.

Jesse chuckled and unscrewed the cap on the medicine, pouring a bit of it onto the spoon carefully, "Here comes the airplane," he said, laughing.

Beca stuck her tongue out at him but accepted the medicine. Her face immediately screwed up in obvious dislike and Jesse laughed, poking Beca's nose. Beca made a face at him, laughing, and he made a face back before getting up to go put the spoon and medicine back.. He came back and sat back down on the couch and looked at Beca.

"So, about that movie you were watching yesterday morning," he said, smiling.

Beca smiled sheepishly, "What about it?"

"Did I finally get Beca Mitchell to watch chick flicks without using a torture device?"

Beca poked his chest and glared at him jokingly, "I love that smug look that you have on your face right now,"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about…." Jesse feigned confusion, but burst out laughing a few seconds later and Beca shook her head at first but then joined him, leaning on his chest.

"You know," Beca said, after they'd calmed down from their laughter, "I have something to show you. I found it the other day when I was looking for a dress." She stood up and went into their bedroom and came out with an acoustic guitar. It was the classic khaki color with her initials engraved near the bottom of it.

"Whoa," Jesse said, his eyes wide with amazement, "You play?"

"Well," Beca sat back down next to Jesse, "I did, but I stopped… When my parents divorced…" She slung the guitar strap over her shoulder and strummed the strings a few times, tuning as she went.

"Can—Can you play something?" Jesse asked hesitantly.

"Well, I can try," She strummed a bit before picking up a tune, "Well you done done me and you bet I felt it, I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted; I fell right through the cracks, now I'm trying to get back." She looked up at Jesse and blushed timidly.

"Go on. It's beautiful, baby,"

Beca smiled and kept singing, still quite self-conscious. But as she neared the chorus of the song, she soon lost herself in the music.

"But I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I'm yours. Well open up your mind and see like me, open up your plans and damn you're free; look into your heart and you'll find love love love love. Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing; we're just one big family, and it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved love love. So I won't hesitate no more, no more, it cannot wait, I'm sure."

As Beca sang the next line, tears came into her eyes and she ducked her head, pretending to look down at the strings, "There's no need to complicate, our time is short; this is our fate, I'm yours—" Beca suddenly stopped there and she dropped her hand from the strings.

"Be—Beca?" Jesse asked cautiously, looking at her. A tear dropped onto Beca's guitar and Jesse's expression changed as he realized why she was crying. Beca slipped the guitar off of her neck and set it to the side and she took a shuddery breath and shook her head.

"Million Dollar Baby, listen," Jesse said, taking Beca's hand in his. Beca didn't move. "Beca, look at me," Jesse said, putting his hand under Beca's chin and tilting her face toward him gently. Beca looked at him, tears staining her face, and Jesse could see the torment behind her eyes. He hoped that she couldn't see the hurt that he was hiding also. "Beca, it's only been six months. We still have time. Lots of it in fact." He stroked her cheek gently with the pad of his thumb and kissed her.

Beca kissed Jesse back briefly and said against his lips, "I sure hope so, I'd miss you too much."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

A few weeks later, as Friday night came along, Jesse was sitting on the sofa in the apartment, on his laptop. He had been working all day at some wedding ideas he had planned out. Beca was working an extra Friday shift today. He glanced at the clock. _10:04, Beca should be back soon,_ he thought to himself, smiling.

Beca walked in the door a couple of minutes later, setting her bag and coat down at the door. Jesse set his laptop aside and opened his arms for Beca. Beca smiled and hugged him, sitting down beside him.

"So what has my handsome fiancé been up to all day?" Beca said, peeking over at Jesse's laptop.

Jesse smiled and placed his laptop on his lap, showing her the screen he was just on. Beca scanned the screen and her expression changed to one of delight, "Oh my god, are we getting married at Lake Placid?!"

Jesse smiled excitedly, "Yeah, I'm trying to get us a reservation in the spring because it's so pretty there in the spring,"

Beca's eyes shone with excitement, "Chloe's been trying to get me to go buy dresses with the rest of the Bellas that we still keep in touch with," Beca rolled her eyes, still smiling.

"Well, I can't wait to see what it looks like," Jesse winked. Beca yawned and rested her head on Jesse's shoulder. "Tired, Million Dollar Baby?" Jesse asked, after a while of silence. Beca didn't answer so Jesse looked down at her. She was already asleep. Jesse smiled, _She hasn't had a good night's sleep for a while now._ He carried her to their bedroom and set her down in bed before pulling off his sweatpants and crawling in next to her, switching the lamp off.

Beca and Jesse woke up early Saturday morning to both of their phones ringing simultaneously. "Dang," Jesse muttered, squinting his eyes and running his fingers through his hair. Beca groaned next to him and picked up both their phones, tossing Jesse's to him. Jesse got up and walked out into the living room to answer his call.

Beca checked her caller ID; Fat Amy, "What," she answered into the phone.

"Yeah, hey, Shawshank, we need you to get down here to the Deb's Café, or Ann's Café, or whatever it's called. Just you know, the one on, like, Kirkley Street," Amy said in a rush.

"Why," Beca groaned.

"It's a emergency, just get your flat butt down here right now. I think Benji's already calling Jesse to tell him,"

Beca sighed and sat up, "Okay, fine, be there in fifteen.."

After Beca hung up, Jesse came back into the bedroom.

"Café on Kirkley?" they both asked each other simultaneously. Beca nodded and Jesse rolled his eyes, "It better be something important if they're gonna get us up at half past midnight to go to a café." He pulled a pair of jeans and a t-shirt out of the closet and told Beca he'd go take a shower. Beca nodded and lay back on her pillows, browsing through her morning text exchanges with Jesse over the past few days. She smiled, an idea forming in her head and started up her laptop while picking out something to change into.

Jesse came out of the showers a few minutes later and walked up beside the bed, where Beca was sitting, waiting eagerly with her laptop balanced on her lap.

"You seem cheery, Miss Mitchell, soon to be Swanson," Jesse said, smiling and sitting down next to Beca.

Beca smiled and nodded, "While I could go off on how much I love the name Beca Swanson," she looked up at Jesse affectionately, who kissed her softly, "I have something to show you." She showed him the document she had up on her laptop. Jesse looked at the title and raised his eyebrows in surprise. " You typed all of it up?"

"Yeah," Beca said, smiling, "Read it,"

Jesse started reading it quietly to himself, "Our Bucket List of Dreams. One: get Married. Two: go back to Barden and see what the Bellas and Trebles are like now. Three: get back together with all of our Bellas and Trebles. Four: sing onstage together. Five: volunteer at a children's hospital. Six: drive a bus:" Jesse smiled since he put that one down because he never got to drive the Treble bus back in his Barden days. "Seven: make sure Jesse scores at least one movie." Beca smiled, thinking that Jesse would make a great movie scorer, even though he hadn't had the opportunity yet. Jesse kept reading, "And eight: Everlong." Jesse didn't understand the last one, but Beca told him that he'd get it at some point. "Amazing, Million Dollar Babe," he said, looking at Beca. Beca smiled and kissed his cheek softly and Jesse kissed her back swiftly.

"As much as I'd love to stay sitting here," Beca said, smiling, "We should go before Amy starts giving us angry phone calls," Jesse laughed and stood up, starting to walk out of the room. Beca took a peacoat from the closet and walked out behind Jesse.

As the two of them walked into the café a few minutes later, they immediately knew something was up. Stacie had her head down on the table and was crying uncontrollably and their friends were gathered around her. Beca and Jesse both walked up to the little crowd and asked what was wrong.

"It's 'bout time you got here," Amy said. Her voice dropped down to a whisper, "Stace is pregnant and she doesn't know who the father is but Ben over there," she pointed subtly at Benji, "seems to know a little something." Jesse and Beca both looked over at Benji, who was the only one sitting on his own, looking forlorn and a bit guilty. Jesse nodded thoughtfully and told Amy and Beca he'd go see what was up with Benji. Beca squeezed between a few of the girls and put her hand on Stacie's shoulder.

"Stace?" she asked quietly.

Stacie lifted her head up and looked up at Beca. She looked like a mess, what with smeared makeup and swollen eyes. But Beca figured that then probably wouldn't be the best time to tell her that. Beca looked around at the few guys standing around; Unicycle and Donald; and asked them, "Could we have some girls' time here?" Both of the guys stepped back obediently and the girls huddled in closer to Stacie.

"You know," Stacie started talking quietly, "I think it might be… be B-Benji."

All of the girls raised their eyebrows and a few of them gasped. Lilly piped up, "How?"

Stacie shook her head, "I don't know, like, there was this one night where things were happening and it got out of hand and now this."

Beca looked down at the floor anxiously, then over at Benji and Jesse. "Stace, maybe you should go talk it out with Ben. I mean, I'm pretty sure he's caught on and he doesn't look too comfortable either."

Stacie looked at Beca like she was crazy, "What? But I don't want to carry his kid. I don't even like him!"

"Yeah, but talking it out might help both of you. I mean, I understand how much pain you're probably going through."

"But I don't want to carry his kid! I mean, how would you know? You've never been through something this bad!" As soon as Stacie said that, she immediately knew that she shouldn't have. But it was too late. Beca had turned pale and tears started forming in her eyes. She bit her lip and looked at Stacie, her bottom lip still quivering.

Stacie desperately tried to explain, "No, Beca, I didn't mean—" But Beca had already run out of the café, the bell above the door jingling behind her wildly.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

When Jesse heard the wild clanging of the bell above the café door, he jerked his head up from his and Benji's conversation. He looked around to see what had caused the racket and found that Beca was missing. He looked from the group of dumbfounded girls to the door and dashed out the door in seconds, going after Beca. Stacie took one look at Jesse flying out the door and put her head down on the table, starting to cry again.

"L-look at what I've d-done now…" The girls surrounding Stacie seemed to snap back after seeing both Beca and Jesse run out and they began comforting Stacie again.

Jesse burst out onto the street outside the café and looked around wildly for Beca. He caught a glimpse of Beca's familiar brown hair up ahead and he started running against the surprisingly large oncoming crowd. Suddenly, he crashed into a tall businessman in a suit and tie, rushing to go off somewhere.

"Watch where you're going!" the man exclaimed angrily, "Some people have places to be!"

"Okay, sorry, geez," Jesse mumbled, swerving around the man, who walked off briskly, muttering crossly under his breath. Jesse suddenly found that he couldn't see Beca anymore and sprinted through the crowd, cutting between people and dodging around people nimbly, hoping that Beca was just somewhere up ahead.

Beca ran out of the café in a blind fury and had started running up the sidewalk, completely oblivious to anyone and only pausing to wipe away her tears every once in a while. When she got to the near intersection, she crossed the street and stopped running. She walked briskly along the sidewalk, swiping frustratingly at the relentless tears. Soon, she reached the parking lot of the apartment building that she and Jesse lived at. She walked towards the building, reaching into her pocket to find the keys. But the keys weren't in her pocket. She patted both her pockets before realizing that she left her keys at home and that Jesse was the only one with the keys. She sat down on the curb and put her face in her hands, trying to wipe off the makeup and tears and hoping that Jesse would come soon.

Jesse ran into the apartment parking lot, now panicked since he hadn't seen Beca yet. He suddenly saw Beca sitting on the curb and he breathed an audible sigh of relief. _Thank the Lord_, he thought to himself, slowing down and letting himself catch his breath. Beca lifted her head up and when she saw Jesse, it made her start crying all over again.

"Hey, hey, Million Dollar Baby, it's all alright," Jesse said quietly, sitting down next to Beca and wrapping both his arms around her tightly. Beca turned her head and cried into Jesse's chest. Jesse stroked her hair gently and kissed her forehead, waiting patiently. A few minutes later, Beca lifted her head up and started to say something, but Jesse cut her off gently.

"How about we go upstairs and you can tell me there?" he suggested. Beca nodded and stood up reaching for Jesse's hand. Jesse took her hand in his and squeezed it gently before leading her up to their apartment.

Jesse unlocked the door to their apartment and held it open for Beca as she walked inside. Beca slipped off her shoes and walked over to the couch, wiping at her eyes before sitting down. Jesse sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and looked at her.

"You think you're ready to talk now?" he asked quietly.

Beca nodded and took a shuddery breath, "The thing is… We lost the baby Jess," she paused, already trying to recollect herself, "And, I-I have these dreams," she looked up at Jesse, tears threatening to overwhelm her again.

"Yeah baby?"

"I have th-these dreams of me teaching a little girl how to color…. Or you teaching a little boy how to read. I have dreams of us with kids, Jesse," Beca finally just let the tears win and she closed her eyes, the tears trickling out from under her long lashes, "I'm never going to think the s-same again. I'm n-never going to smile the same again. I-I'm never going to be the same a-again. It… It took t-too much away from me…" her words slowly dissolved into sobs and she collapsed against Jesse, sobbing. Jesse hugged her tightly, desperately attempting to bite back tears of his own. But, listening to Beca's muffled heartbreaking sobs was too much for him and soon, tears of his own started flowing silently. Beca looked up at Jesse, tears still flowing down her face.

"J-Jesse?" she asked softly, her voice catching from her tears. Jesse looked down at her, trying to wipe away his tears hastily, for Beca's sake.

Beca touched his cheek gently, "I-It's okay to cry, baby,"

Jesse smiled sadly and kissed Beca's forehead lightly, "It's just that I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Million Dollar Baby. Or if I have to put you through as much pain as I might have to put you through."

Beca looked down again and she bit her lip, still crying. _What if he does leave? What if it does happen?_ she thought miserably, _What'll I do then?_


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Beca looked outside at the sky, unable to meet Jesse's anxious gaze. She slowly wiped her tears away and she felt Jesse's light touch on her shoulder.

"Bec," he said softly and reassuringly, "how about this? Let's just worry about the her and now. We'll find out where Stacie is right now and then we can go and talk to her about everything. Is that okay?" Beca hesitated before nodding carefully. Jesse smiled gently, "Do you want to go get cleaned up and I'll call Amy?" Beca nodded silently and stood up, walking to the bathroom as Jesse pulled out his phone and dialed Amy's number.

Beca walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her softly. She washed the makeup and tears off her face and decided to reapply her makeup. As she was finishing up her mascara, she ran her fingers through her hair and stared at her reflection. _I'm so lucky to have someone like Jesse who puts up with me and cares enough to figure out what I need. And I'm just kind of shutting him out, _she thought to herself, determined to change that. She stepped out of the bathroom and went to change out of her tear-stained top.

Jesse ended his call with Amy and stood up, stretching his arms over his head as he waited for Beca. Beca appeared back in the main room a few minutes later and Jesse smiled and asked, "Ready to go? Amy said that Stacie's still at the café," Beca nodded and Jesse took her hand in his, kissing it gently before starting to walk towards the door.

Beca walked closer to Jesse, pressing her body against his, "I love you so much, Jesse. Thanks for putting up with me."

Jesse smiled, surprised that Beca was talking again, and looked at her, kissing her softly, "I love you too, Million Dollar Baby. You're never a problem at all. Besides, I'm here for you and will always be here for you."

As the two of them neared the café, Jesse saw that only Stacie, Amy, and Benji were left. Stacie and Amy were sitting at a table, while Benji was sitting on his own, the sad expression seemingly plastered on his face. The rest of the café was deserted and a waitress walked around, annoyed by the threesome that was occupying their space.

As Jesse ands Beca walked into the café, the waitress rushed up to them excitedly but Jesse denied her politely and she shot him a dirty look, slinking to the back of the café. Stacie's head jerked up when she heard the jangling of the bell but her expression changed into one of uncertainty when she saw that it was Beca. Benji looked up also and seemed relieved when he saw them. Jesse looked over at Amy, and, now that he looked carefully, saw that she was asleep. Jesse walked over to the table where Stacie was sitting and pulled out two chairs, waiting for Beca to sit before sitting down himself. Stacie looked down at the table, averting her eyes from the people who had just come to sit by her.

"Stace," Beca said quietly, breaking the heavy silence.

Stacie mumbled something that sounded like, "Yeah,"

"Stacie, I… To be honest, I was the one who overreacted and ran out and everything and… well, this one's on me. I'm sorry, Stace."

Stacie looked up slowly, her expression confused for a second before changing into relief, "No, Beca, I really shouldn't have said that at all. I don't know what caused me to say it. I… I'm so sorry, I honestly haven't been in a good mood and all and…" she broke off, shaking her head.

Beca stood up and went to hug Stacie, which triggered a look of surprise from Jesse, since Beca wasn't one to hug people voluntarily. Stacie seemed surprised too, but only for a second, because she hugged Beca back quite happily. "Don't stress about it, Stace. It's pretty bad while you're pregnant, and trust me, I know what it's like and so does Jesse, I bet."

"I believe you this time," Stacie replied, smiling.

Beca let go of Stacie and sat back down, "Still friends?"

Stacie nodded, "Definitely."

Jesse smiled and took Beca's hand in his, squeezing it gently. Beca looked over at Jesse and kissed him softly, smiling.

Stacie poked Beca's arm playfully, "You two lovebirds. Amy and Donald were right, you guys are always goin' at it, huh?"

Beca and Jesse exchanged glances and blushed. Beca poked Stacie back, smiling, and made a face at her. Jesse laughed and then remembered that Benji was still there. He looked over at Benji and frowned slightly. He hadn't moved an inch from where he last was. Jesse got up and walked over to Benji, "Hey Ben," Benji didn't move a single muscle. "Ben, will you at least show me you're listening?" Benji lifted his head up and moved it so he was facing Jesse. "Come join us at our table, at least, will you?" Benji sighed and stood up reluctantly, following Jesse to his table. Stacie's expression changed subtly as she saw Benji approach the table., "Wh-Why are you here?"

Benji was about to say something when Jesse cut him off, "I told him to come here. You guys need to figure this out. It's for the better or for the worse."

Stacie glared frustratingly at Benji and crossed her arms in front of her chest, "What happened was nothing but a mistake, Benji. It will always be a mistake for me. A complicate done, but a mistake all the same. Just let it go."

Benji looked at Stacie, "But…. but what if it wasn't a mistake for me, Stace. What if it actually meant something to me?"

Stacie looked at Benji, bewildered, "B-Benji…."

"Stacie, can you just tell me one thing; did… did that night mean anything to you at all?"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Stacie was silent for so long that Benji turned away, sure that she wouldn't answer.

"Ben…. It… It did. It did mean something to me."

Benji looked up, shock and somewhat relief washing over his face, "It… did?"

Stacie's eyes met his and she nodded slightly, "It really did."

Benji looked at Stacie and smiled, reaching across the table and taking her hand in his, "So you think we can…. pull through this together?"

Stacie smiled brightly, "I know we can."

Beca looked at Jesse and smiled, pointing her head subtly towards Benji and Stacie, who were still staring at each other. Jesse smiled back, nodding. Stacie broke the gaze between her and Benji and looked to the side, blushing lightly. Benji seemed to realize it too, because he looked down and turned really red. Jesse set his hand on Benji's arm, laughing, "Dude, don't worry about it; me and Bec are a lot worse. Apparently we, and I quote this, 'are always goin' at it.'" He looked at Stacie pointedly.

Benji laughed, "She's right, though!"

Jesse poked Benji jokingly, "Well then, I see how it is." All four of them laughed and Jesse looked at Beca. _We did pretty well, _he thought to himself. Beca looked back at him, seemingly reading his mind, _We did,_ she thought, nodding, _We really did. _

A Sunday morning in late November, a few weeks after Beca and Jesse got Benji and Stacie together, Beca woke up and reached her hand to the side, expecting Jesse to be there, but he wasn't. She opened her eyes and saw that she was the only one there. "Jesse?" she called, but all she got back was silence. She dragged herself out of bed and raked her fingers through her messy hair, walking into the main room. But that room was also Jesse-less. That's when her eyes landed on the note lying on the table. She picked it up and smiled with relief when she saw Jesse's familiar graceful scrawl.

"_Good morning Million Dollar Baby;_"she read to herself. "_By now, you've probably realized that I'm not at home; don't freak out, I'm alright and this is within good reason. I don't know if you remember this with all that's been happening but today's November 22__nd__,_"Beca clicked open her phone; it was! "_It's your special day today, love._"Beca smiled; it was her birthday; she'd forgotten all about but Jesse remembered. "_Look on the kitchen counter._"Beca looked to her side and saw the pancakes that were resting on the kitchen counter beside a glass of orange juice and her smile grew wider. "_Freshly made; I know they're your favorite, Bec. Now, don't try to call anyone to find out where I am; they've all been sworn to secrecy not to tell. But, this won't be the last time you'll hear from me.:) Now, go enjoy your breakfast and have a great day, beautiful. ~Jesse_"Beca smiled and folded up the note, setting it back on the table. _Jesse's the best,_ she thought to herself, walking over to the kitchen counter. She picked up the breakfast and sat down at the table. Biting into the pancakes, she tasted the heavenly taste of blueberries. _Oh my god,_ she thought to herself, _he knows me so well._

Upon finishing her meal, she rinsed out her dishes and went to shower and change. When she took her mascara out, about to put on her makeup after taking a shower, she found a piece of paper taped to it. She peeled it off, puzzled, and rolled her eyes, smiling, when she saw Jesse's handwriting on it.

"_So, I told you I'd be back. :) I hope you liked your breakfast. I actually have a little something special prepared for you, but you'll have to go and "find" it. Of course, I'll help you along the way. Just… be prepared for a busy day. :) Your next note is behind the toaster, you'll find it. ~J_" Beca smiled and slipped the note into her pocket, just in case. She finished up with her makeup and after hanging up her towel, went to find the next note, also putting the first note in her pocket. She found the second note, like Jesse said, behind the toaster.

"_Hey, gorgeous. So, I see you've found my second note. From here on, though, it might not be so easy. :) But, I know you're going to stick with this simply because you're that type of person._" Beca almost wanted to give up, just to prove him wrong, but he was right, she was that type of person and didn't want to give up. "_So, your next note… I think I'll put it… hmm. Okay, I put it in "I'm Yours." I'm sure you'll figure it out. :) 'Til you find the next note! ~J_" Beca folded up the note and put it in her pocket with her other notes. _Hmm…_ she thought, thoroughly puzzled, _"I'm Yours?" What's that supposed to mean?_ Just then, she figured it out. She went into her closet and got out her guitar. She remembered when she played "I'm Yours" on it for Jesse. Her eyes grew moist when she thought about and she shook her head hard, clearing her thoughts. She took the guitar and turned it around in her hands, trying to find the note, but it wasn't attached anywhere on the guitar! She sat on the bed and put it in playing position, strumming a few carefree chords until she picked up a light tune. But something didn't sound quite right. The sound was a bit…. scratchy. Like… like… like there was something inside the guitar! Beca picked it up and turned it upside down so the hole in the center of the guitar was facing down and shook it gently. A piece of paper fluttered to the floor and she smiled, _He's clever_, she thought, picking the paper up off the floor and setting the guitar off to the side.

"_Hmm… You're smart, Bec. I'll just have to make this a bit harder. :) So, this next note, I won't make you solve riddles for this one. But, I hid it in my movie collection. :)_" Beca's jaw dropped. Jesse's movie collection was HUGE. "_I can just imagine your face right now, Beca. :) But I'll make it a bit easier on you; I'll tell you where I hid it. It's underneath the disc in the 'Million Dollar Baby' case (of course :) ). And, if you can find my 'The Breakfast Club' poster, you'll find a bonus. :) Good luck! ~J_" Beca pocketed that note with the other and smiled, shaking her head gently. _Gosh,_ she thought to herself, turning towards Jesse's movie collection, which consisted of four stacks of movies, each stack containing around 50 movies, _I'd better get started if I want to find it anytime this century, _she thought, chuckling quietly and kneeling down in front of the stacks of movies.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

As Beca went through Jesse's movie collection, seeing the various movies he had brought back many memories of the times when Jesse made Beca watch movies with him. One distinct memory that Beca had is of the time when they watched "The Conjuring" not too long ago. At this one part where a person screamed on-screen and everything went dark, Beca jumped and the bowl of popcorn that she had in her hands flew completely out of her grasp. There was a lot of cleaning up that day. Beca smiled at the memory as she started on the third stack of movies.

"Got it!" Beca said to herself a few minutes later, holding up the "Million Dollar Baby" movie triumphantly in her hands. She figured she probably wasn't even going to go find the "The Breakfast Club" poster since she was seriously worn out just from finding the movie. She smiled as she opened the case and found the note exactly where Jesse had said; behind the disc.

"_Wow, Bec, I'm fairly impressed. You found one movie out of the 206 that I have (yes, I do count). :) But, of course, I know you pretty well, Bec, and I know that you think you'll get away without having to go look for the poster. Not a chance. :) So, go look for the poster and you'll even get a bonus along with the next clue. ~J_" Beca rolled her eyes and smiled. _It's just like him to do something like that,_ she thought, sticking that note in her pocket also. She opened the closet and looked around, figuring that the poster would most likely be in there. She saw a roll of paper sitting in the far corner and stuck her head in the closet, reaching in for the paper. She pulled it out and a cloud of dust came with it.

"Yikes!" she exclaimed, coughing and backing away from the closet, waving her hand in front of her face to clear the dust. She shook the poster before unraveling it, revealing her goal; the "The Breakfast Club" poster. A piece of paper dropped form it and she picked it, setting it to one side. She took a good look at the familiar characters on the poster and as she did, memories of the first time she watched "The Breakfast Club" came back to her. How dark it was in her dorm. How close they were sitting. How she was watching Jesse's face as he watched the movie and then she missed the ending. How he looked like he was about to kiss her but then she got scared and pulled away because she didn't want to admit that she, in fact, did like him. How much she really did want to kiss him. She remembered all of it and now looking back, she realized how the feelings were there all along, but she was too blind to have accepted any of it. _Think about the here and now, _she thought to herself, desperately trying to shake the sadness off. She set the poster off to the side and picked up the note.

"_Hey, Million Dollar Baby, look now in the spot where you found the poster. ~J_" _Well, that was short,_Beca thought, pocketing the note and looking over to where she found the poster. She gasped in delight and reached inside the closet, finding a box of Mars Coconut Bars. They were chocolate bars with nuts, nougat, caramel, and coconut. They used to be her favorite when she was a little girl and they'd been discontinued from stores when she was in elementary school. which was so long ago. She'd mentioned it to Jesse perhaps once or twice and she was shocked that he still remembered. She was astonished at how he even managed to get these; they were even in the original package that they came in during the 1990's! She smiled happily setting these to the side. As she set them down, she felt a scrap of paper on the back and she peeled it off, knowing it was probably Jesse's next note. It was.

"_I hope you liked your little bonus, love. You're probably wondering where I managed to get a product that was discontinued years ago. All I'm telling you is that I went long distances to get it once I knew how much you liked them. :) Well, it's time to give you your next clue. You're actually not too far from the end now, although you can go get a bite to eat for lunch before you go find this next note. If I've planned it out correctly, it should be around one in the afternoon." _Beca looked at the clock; 1:47. "_But here's you next clue: This note is hidden at around the end of our freshmen year. :) And, no, I didn't hide it at Barden. It's still at home. :) Good luck!_" Beca smiled and stuck the note in her pocket, wishing that she could just see Jesse. She thought about the clue, _The end of our freshmen year? _she thought, confused. She walked out into the main room and looked around. _Hmm,_ she thought as she carefully examined the room. She still couldn't finds anything. She decided to go and grab something to eat while she thought some more. She opened the fridge and took out a refrigerated, pre-bottled cappuccino and a muffin from the counter. As she sat at the table and ate her make-do lunch, she racked her brain over what Jesse's clue could mean. Suddenly, it came to her. She leaped off the chair, abandoning her half-finished meal. She walked over and picked up the picture that was still sitting on the coffee table. It was the picture of her and Jesse at the end of freshmen year that she had put there. She smiled at the memory of that last day when Jesse threw water at her and she tackled him but he just hoisted her onto his back. They both ended up collapsing in a fit of laughter that ended in the sweetest kisses. She slipped the picture out of the frame and found the next note behind the photo.

"_Wow, Bec, nicely done! You're about two notes away from the end. These next two are going to be pretty direct, so you can get to me quicker, which I know you've got to be thinking about by now. :) This next note, I can't find a good clue. So, I'll just tell you it's actually not in the house. It's in the glove compartment of your car. :) I know it's an absurd place to hide something, but I was running out of good places. :) ~J_" Beca smiled and slipped the note into her pocket. She went and finished her muffin quickly and stuck the rest of the cappuccino back into the fridge. She grabbed her keys and darted out the door, locking it behind her. She made her way down to her car and unlocked it. She opened the passenger side door and the glove compartment. She dug through it but didn't find the note for some reason. She checked the floor but it wasn't there either. she flipped through all the papers but it wasn't there either. There was only one other place it could be; inside the gloves that were (ironically) in the glove compartment. She looked inside the right glove, then the left glove and, guess what, it was in there. She chuckled softly and unfolded the note.

"_Well, smart one, you found the note that was in the gloves. :) Well, this last note is in the closet, so you can make your way back up to the apartment. You'll know where I am too upon finding the note. :) I'll see you soon, beautiful! ~J_" Beca smiled excitedly as she put the last note into her pocket, _I'll finally get to see him,_ she thought happily, closing the car door and locking it.


End file.
